The Deliverance of the Cross

Returning to the Cross Sermon Series

“The Deliverance of the Cross”

KEY PASSAGE: Romans 5:6–10 (NASB)

Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move, grant us purity of heart and strength of purpose, that we may seek Your will and faithfully obey it, for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen. You may be seated.

TITHE and OFFERING

We will call on the ushers to pass around the offering plates so we can collect our tithe and offering. The worship team will lead us [again] with a song as we collect our tithes and offerings.

PRAYER FOR TITHE and OFFERING

O Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the source of all we are and have, we come to present our tithes and offerings to the glory of Your holy name. Graciously accept and bless our gifts, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

WELCOME

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

ANNOUNCEMENT

·  📖Wednesday Night Bible Study Connect – 7:00 p.m. Please join us this Wednesday at 7:00 PM for a time of learning, fellowship, and spiritual growth! We finished the Book of First Corinthians last week and will begin our study of the Book of First Samuel this week—a powerful journey through God’s leadership, faithfulness, and the lives of His chosen servants.

· 📅 Corporate Meeting – Every Saturday at 8:00 a.m., we meet at the church for a prayer meeting. I encourage you to please join us for our Corporate Meeting every Saturday at 8:00 a.m. If you have a prayer request, please complete the online or in-person prayer request form, and we will lift you up in prayer.

• 📌 Night of Worship – Friday, May 30, at 7:00 p.m. Join us for a powerful evening of praise and worship as we gather to glorify the Lord together! 🍽️ Community Meal – Saturday, May 31, at noon. Come and enjoy a meal with the community! An excellent opportunity to fellowship and connect with one another. ☕ Men’s Breakfast – Saturday, June 7, at 10:00 a.m. Men of all ages are invited to share food, faith, and fellowship.

· 📅New Membership Class. If you want to join the church, we have a New Membership Class. Please talk to Faira and Paula. This one-day class is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the church, ask questions, and connect with the church leadership. If you are interested in serving, completing the membership class will be an essential step toward getting involved. We encourage you to sign up and take this next step in your faith journey!

· 📅Two-Day Church Workshop. In collaboration with Olford Ministries International, Inc., our church will host a two-day workshop event from June 13–14, 2025. I encourage all members to sign up and participate in this impactful time of learning, growth, and spiritual enrichment.

· After we say the benediction, I encourage all members to stay for our congregational meeting. Your presence is important as we discuss key matters for our church.

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

Please close your eyes, and let us pray. Heavenly Father, may Your Word go forth with power and clarity, and may the Holy Spirit illuminate truth in every heart. Let Your truth penetrate hearts and transform lives. I ask that Your Word be clear this morning; every hearer may receive it with understanding. May Your Holy Spirit take full authority, teaching us and unveiling the true meaning of Scripture. May this moment be filled with Your presence, bringing revelation, conviction, and transformation. I pray for a fruitful and Spirit-led message today! In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

SERMON INTRODUCTION

Our sermon series is “Returning to the Cross.” Over the past several weeks, we said that our connection to the Cross will determine our eternal destiny and our spiritual well-being. The Cross is a historical event that took place two thousand years ago, with contemporary applications. Jesus Christ died two thousand years ago on Calvary, [on the Cross], but the purpose of His death extends beyond history—it speaks directly to you and me, who have come to know and accept Jesus as our personal Savior. To put it another way, the Cross is a divine act of redemption—an event in history that continues to transform lives today.

The Cross is more than a piece of jewelry worn around the neck, an attractive image, or an architectural feature on top of a church steeple. The Cross is the centerpiece—the ultimate point of reference—for everything that happens in your life, to the degree that when we disconnect from the Cross, the reality of Jesus Christ becomes a detached (isolated) concept rather than an active, personal experience in the life of a believer.

SERMON EXPOSITION

Today, I want to take you a little deeper into the concept of the Cross’s relevance by exploring its power to deliver. Many of us need deliverance—freedom from something that holds us back. To be delivered means to be set free or released, and the Bible makes it abundantly clear that one of the key reasons we must remain connected to the Cross is its power to deliver and set us free.

At the Cross. The chorus goes … At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!

The Cross breaks the power of sin, setting us free from bondage, and through Christ’s sacrifice, we are no longer enslaved to sinful habits or guilt. The Cross is not just a historical event—it is a present reality that delivers us from sin, condemnation, fear, darkness, and even death. When we stay connected to the Cross, we experience true freedom in Christ Jesus. In Romans, the fifth chapter, Paul sets forth the profound truth of the power of the Cross to deliver. In verses 6 and 8, Paul makes a staggering statement: He says in verse 6 “While we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly.” In verse 8, he says, “God demonstrated His love toward us that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Cross was necessary for the forgiveness of our sins. Christ did not wait for us to become righteous—He died while we were ungodly. God demonstrated His love when we were still sinners, meaning His grace reached us when there was nothing lovely about us. This truth reminds us that salvation is entirely an act of divine love and mercy, not human merit. The Cross is the ultimate expression of God’s grace, delivering us from sin and reconciling us to Him. To put this another way, God proves His love by justification through the blood of Christ.

SERMON EXPLANATION 1

God loved us enough to die for us! When we were His enemies, He gave His life for us. When we rebelled against Him, He died for us on the Cross. When we were on the other side of the tracks and had no concern for Him, He pursued us with His love by dying on the Cross. Christ died for us before we were even born, knowing the worst things about us, the thoughts and actions that are entirely opposed to His holiness. In Romans 5:7, Paul states, “For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die.” Paul says nobody is going to die for a wicked man. He continues in verse 8: “God demonstrates His [own] love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God didn’t just speak about love—He proved it. The proof that God loves you [Watch This] is resident in the Cross of Christ because He gave His life for us while we were still sinners, undeserving, and rebellious. That is the depth of God’s grace and the ultimate expression of God’s love.

SERMON EXPLANATION 2

We understand God loved you enough to die for you on the Cross. But then Paul says in verse 9, “much more.” Paul repeats it again in verse 10, “much more.” Let me explain to you what “much more” means. Much more means on top of all that! “Much more” emphasizes the abundance and overflow of God’s grace—it is not just enough but beyond enough! Paul uses “much more” to highlight that if Christ’s death saved us while we were sinners, His life guarantees even greater blessings now that we are reconciled to God. Paul wants to add something to be placed on top of what he just told us in verses 6 and 8: God loved us enough to die for us. So, “much more” means on top of all that—above and beyond what we could ever expect or deserve!  When we were ungodly and when we were sinners, God loved us enough to die for us. Now that we are saved [now that you have become a saint], He gives us even more – “much more” … in addition to. Stacked on top of that is another benefit.

He says, “much more.” verse 9, “having been justified by His Blood.” His Blood is on the Cross, the sacrificial giving of His life on the Cross. Christ died for the ungodly, even if they never get saved. Christ died for us because “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” This means God’s love extends to all people, at all times, in all places, regardless of whether they enter into a relationship with Him. Christ’s death provided an unlimited atonement, a sacrificial death that applies to all people, making all people savable.

But salvation is a choice that each person must make. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” [Watch This] Confession and belief are choices that lead to salvation. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So, choose life so that you may live, you and your descendants.” God calls us to choose life, but He does not force life upon us. I want you to see it this way – God’s Role versus Our Responsibility. God is the One who initiates salvation through grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). But we must respond by faith (Acts 16:31). When we reject Christ, we reject eternal life (John 3:18).

Paul declares that those who are saved-those who are justified by His blood—experience something even greater. Those who trust Christ as their personal Savior, placing their faith in Him alone for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life, step into a deeper reality of God’s grace. Now the question is, what is the ‘much more’? Paul says once you have gotten saved—“justified by the Blood of Jesus,” we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Jesus. The “Much More” Paul speaks of is the full assurance of salvation, not just being forgiven, but being completely delivered from God’s wrath and sustained by Christ’s life.  If, while we were enemies, verse 10 says, “we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” [that is, the Cross], “much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Paul is not talking to everybody in general; he is speaking directly to Christians, those who the blood of Christ has justified. And he says to those in this room today, (who are saved), having been justified, there is another saving that is available to you.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 1

The word saved means to be rescued or delivered; that is what saved means. When you say I am saved, that means you have been delivered from something or rescued from something. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your sin-bearer, you were eternally saved from eternal separation from God, which we call hell. The Bible calls hell … an eternal separation from God, the ultimate consequence of rejecting His salvation. Let me talk about hell for a moment, that is, the eternal wrath of God, the place called hell. But Paul is not talking about hell, and I will explain what he is talking about in a moment. Hell is a location, but within that location is a state of being. The best way I can explain hell is by comparing it to Alcatraz, a prison off the coast of San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz was a federal prison located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, where criminals were sent to serve their sentences in isolation. Prisoners were separated from the general public, making escape impossible. While Alcatraz was a physical place [a physical location], it also represents a state of isolation. Escaping Alcatraz was nearly impossible because of the prison’s security and the natural isolation created by the surrounding waters.

Federal Prisons are categorized into three levels: minimum, medium, and maximum security. It just depends on how bad you were. If you were a high-risk [bad criminal]— with violent records or escape attempts –  you were in maximum security; if you were a kind of bad criminal, you were in medium security. And if you were a not-too-bad criminal, you were in minimum security. But Alcatraz was unique—it was strictly a maximum-security prison.

The Bible says, “Hell will be cast into the lake of fire,” not so far from heaven. But it doesn’t mean that people are walking around with fire popping out of them. Hell is like Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, surrounded by cold water and strong currents. Hell will be placed in the lake of fire, but a lake of water won’t surround hell. A lake of fire will surround Hell. Like Alcatraz, a person cannot get out of hell to get to heaven because a lake of fire surrounds hell. A lake of fire surrounds hell, blocking and preventing any escape. In hell, there will be different levels, the Bible says. There are those in minimum hell, medium hell, and maximum hell. The Bible says that at the Judgment Seat of Christ, God is going to examine your works, the work of non-Christians, to see how much hell you get. All hell is not equal. The devil and those who are the closest to the devil—the Hitlers of this world … they will go to the bottomless pit.

SERMON EXPLANATION 3

Our eternal destiny was secured in heaven by our faith in Jesus Christ. That is when you were justified. But Paul wants to talk to you and me about Much More. Paul says, on top of that, we are saved from the wrath of God through Jesus Christ, according to verse 10. Now the question is, what does he mean by the wrath of God? What is the wrath of God in verse 9? Paul says God proves His love by saving us from the wrath to come. Paul says, ‘We are delivered from the wrath of God.’ The question is – What wrath of God are we delivered from? Is Paul talking about hell, or is he talking about something else? I believe Paul is talking about something else, and let me show you. Please turn to Romans chapter 1, where Paul uses the same word again (the wrath of God). Romans chapter 1, verse 18 says: “For the wrath of God …” Same phrase Paul uses in chapter 5, for the wrath of God, “… Is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness.”

Paul says in chapter 5 verse 9, those who the blood of Christ has justified have been saved from the wrath of God.  When Paul uses the word wrath, he is not talking about hell. He says, I am talking about something else—The wrath of God is revealed [Watch This] from heaven against all unrighteousness—Chapter 1, verse 18. ‘Of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.’ He is not talking about hell; Paul is talking about history. He is talking about what men are doing now. He lists all the things happening today – a day of trouble, distress, wasteness, desolation, and darkness. Paul calls it ‘The Wrath of God.’ And he is talking about a different kind of wrath. What does the word wrath mean? The word wrath means a visible demonstration of displeasure. Wrath is God showing you He is upset. Wrath is not saying ‘God is mad!’ Wrath says, ‘Let me show you how mad God is!’ Wrath is not anger; wrath is anger on display. It says the wrath of God has been revealed. In other words, it is not secret, it is not hidden; The wrath of God is on display. Just like God demonstrated His love when Christ died on Calvary [on the Cross], God reveals His wrath.

SERMON EXPLANATION 4

The wrath of God is a reality. God shows His wrath and becomes angry with two classes of people: folks who are ungodly and unrighteous. The Greek word for ungodly is asebeia, and these are folks who fail to love and obey God. They are not like God, not holy, righteous, and pure. They do not work at developing a godly nature, do not honor God by word or deed, and do not worship and obey God as the only living and true God. The Greek word for unrighteous is adikia – folks who fail to love others. They act against other people: they cheat, steal, lie, abuse, destroy, and take advantage of people. The point is clear: God is angry with such people.

What causes God to display His displeasure? Paul says, ‘Ungodliness and unrighteousness.’ Notice how much ungodliness and unrighteousness in verse 18—ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness. Which means God’s wrath is always in operation. Alright? God’s wrath is always revealed because it is revealed against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness. To whom is the wrath of God revealed? It says it is revealed to those who suppress the truth of God.

To suppress means to hold down. Paul says, ‘Because men don’t want the truth of God, what they do is they hold down that truth because they don’t want the truth, or they don’t like the truth, so what they do is submerge the truth and exchange the truth for a lie.’ Because God is a God of truth and demonstrates His displeasure when folks change the truth of God for a lie! The wrath of God is when we refuse to acknowledge God’s truth, force it, and try to submerge it, thinking the truth will disappear or go away.

SERMON APPLICATION 1

 Paul says, “Now that you are saved”, chapter 5 verse 9: “Now that His Blood, the Cross, has justified you, you will be saved (which means delivered and rescued), “from the wrath of God through Jesus.” On the Cross, Jesus died for our sins; Jesus did not die for your problems, Jesus did not die for your mistakes, Jesus did not die for your idiosyncrasies [your bad habits]. Jesus died for your sin; that is the only thing the Cross will deal with – sin. Jesus did not die for you to adjust your bad habits. He died to address sin, the one thing that separates you from God.

So, anything else you bring to the Cross is a waste of time. Because Jesus doesn’t deal with anything at the Cross except sin; anything else is just pure talk and a waste of time… Unless you identify the sin, the Cross stays inactive for you. The Cross only works with sin because it was only sin that nailed Jesus to the Cross. Jesus died on the Cross and much more! Not …to save us from an eternal destination of hell, but Jesus died so that His life might save or deliver us from the current outworking of the consequences of sin in history.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 2

The fullback’s first job in football is to be a lead blocker for the halfback. When the team lines up in formation, the quarterback receives the ball, and behind him is the fullback—behind the fullback is the halfback. Once the quarterback hands off the ball to the halfback, the fullback’s role is critical—he must clear a path, breaking through obstacles and defenders so the halfback can move forward, whether for a first down or a touchdown. The fullback doesn't carry the ball, but his job is to make a way for someone else to succeed. This concept in football is called “running interference,” and it mirrors a spiritual truth.

Guess what the Bible says about Jesus? Jesus lives to make intercession for the saints. And that is the job of a fullback! Jesus Christ lives right now on the right-hand side of the Father, having died on the Cross to be your Lead Blocker. God knows that there are enemies out there that are after you—named Satan, sin, and the world of flesh – that they are out there and they don’t want you to make progress down the field of your Christian life. They want to sack you behind the line of struggle. They want to keep you defeated and keep you from moving forward. But now that you are a child of God, you have what your neighbor does not have … a Lead Blocker; His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You have somebody out in front whose job is to open up a hole so that you can make progress down the field.

Don’t leave the Cross and expect the Lead Blocker – Jesus to relieve you down the field so you can progress in your Christian life. You cannot leave the Cross back here and wonder why you are not getting anywhere down there. When you carry the Cross and the work of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ becomes your Lead Blocker to open up the hole against those things that want to sack you, tackle you, hold you down, defeat you, and get you caught behind the line of struggle in order so that you can now make progress in your Christian life.

FAITH APPEAL, CALL to ACTION, and ALTAR CALL

In closing, a powerful and excellent illustration of deliverance can be found in Rahab’s story. We all know the account—Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, but one woman believed in God. Rahab’s past wasn’t something to be proud of. Rahab was a harlot, living in the red-light district of Jericho, a place known for its sin and brokenness. Yet, despite Rahab’s circumstances, God had a plan for her redemption. When the spies came to Jericho, Rahab heard about the God of Israel. Rahab placed faith in the God of the spies. In Joshua 2:10, Rahab boldly declares: "We have heard about your God… I have heard about your God."

They came to Rahab and said, "Because you have done this, when judgment comes upon Jericho, you and your family will be saved. Gather your loved ones into your house, for when the city falls, your household will be spared." This wasn’t about heaven—it was about deliverance in history, a direct act of God’s mercy in the midst of destruction. But there is something about Rahab’s story that many overlook. The Bible specifically mentions that her house was built into the wall of Jericho. In other words, she lived within the very structure destined to collapse. But guess what? God preserved Rahab’s house because of her faith, while the rest of the wall crumbled. Her physical and spiritual salvation was a remarkable demonstration of God’s grace at work in history.

There was deliverance at Rahab’s house, even though the world around her crumbled and the rest of the culture fell apart. While the culture was falling apart, Rahab remained secure in God’s promise. Listen to me, your neighbors may fall apart, your friends may fall apart, and others may seem to be losing their grip on reality—but you have Jesus as your fullback, running interference for you. If you hold on to the Cross, no matter how the world shakes and falls apart, you will remain standing….. Standing strong [Standing firm]. Why? Because Jesus died for you on the Cross before you ever knew Him, and now that He knows you, He lives to let His life work on your behalf. That is the power of the Deliverance of the Cross—a strength that sustains, a grace that preserves, and a victory that never fails.

God bless you!

If you are here today and don’t know Jesus, I want you to come to the Cross, give your life to Christ, and trust Jesus to be your Savior. If you need prayer, please come forward so we can pray for you.  Let’s stand to our feet and bless His Holy Name for the deliverance of the Cross!

BENEDICTION [CLOSING PRAYER]

Join me in prayer, please.

Father, we thank You again for the Cross! We glorify Your Name and pray that Your power will deliver us in history just like it delivered us in eternity! Would You give us, O Lord, the joy and the tears that come from knowing and understanding that Christ’s blood has justified and delivered us? We ask that You help us to understand what these things mean and apply them to ourselves. At the right time, while we were without strength, Christ Jesus died for us, but now we are justified and delivered by the blood of Jesus. We have talked about some profound truths here, and we know no matter how articulate or clear I have been verbally, it will take great help from Your Holy Spirit to apply this to our particular situations today. Give us that help,  and we thank You for all this and ask for it in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we pray. And everyone says, Amen.

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