The Authority of the Cross

Returning to the Cross Sermon Series

“The Authority of the Cross”

KEY PASSAGE: Ephesians 1:18-23 (NASB)

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open this morning, all desires are known, and from whom no secrets are covered, I pray that You cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may love You with all our heart, soul, and mind. We magnify Your holy name through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray, and everyone says, Amen. You may be seated.

THE LORD’S SUPPER – COMMUNION SERVICE  

The Lord’s Supper: Is A Celebration of God‘s Gift  [And every first Sunday we serve you Communion]  Let’s read 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 (NASB): 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

As we take communion this morning, I want us to meditate upon the person of Jesus Christ. Christ says to remember me, and for us believers, we must actively meditate upon Christ. We observe the Lord’s Supper because the Lord’s Supper is both a picture and a sermon proclaiming…the Lord’s death and return. Christ’s death pictures what He has done for us on the Cross and what He will do for us when He returns. His death is a picture of our past and present redemption and our future redemption when we shall be conformed to His image of perfection.

Let us pray. 

O LORD, we praise You for the gift of Your Son Christ Jesus, who died upon the Cross. I pray that You forgive our transgressions, cleanse our hearts, and put a new spirit within us. Make us aware of the presence of our living Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

· The body of our Lord Jesus Christ is given for us. Let us eat together. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which we have the forgiveness of sins. Let us drink together. 

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

I pray our God and Father that You will accept these gifts from Your hard-working people who freely give because of Your grace and mercy. I pray that You use our gifts and abilities to honor Your kingdom. In the name of Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen.

WELCOME

Well, welcome, everyone, again to our Sunday Worship Service. Please stand up, greet some folks around you, and tell them Jesus loves you. 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 as we study the Word of God! We are studying 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.

· ☕Men’s Breakfast – Saturday, June 7, at 10:00 a.m. Men of all ages are invited to share food, faith, and fellowship.

• 📅 Women’s Night – Saturday, June 7, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Join us for an evening of fellowship, encouragement, and connection!

• 💦 Baptism at the Lake – Saturday, June 21, at noon. If you would like to be baptized, please sign up in advance so we can celebrate this special step with you!

· 📅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.

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. I pray God of heaven and earth that Your Word will go forth with power and clarity, and may the Holy Spirit illuminate the true meaning of the Scripture in every heart. Let Your Word penetrate hearts and transform lives. May this moment be filled with Your presence, bringing revelation, conviction, and transformation. I ask dear God for a fruitful and Spirit-led message today! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

SERMON INTRODUCTION

As we near the conclusion of our sermon series, “Returning to the Cross,” we have been reflecting on the profound significance of the Cross of Christ in our lives today. The Cross represents redemption, power, and victory, reminding believers that through Christ’s sacrifice, we are forgiven, restored, and empowered to live boldly in His grace. The Cross calls us to surrender daily, walk in Christ’s authority, and embrace Christ’s love. Salvation is made possible through Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross, and the Cross is not the end but the gateway to everlasting life.

In Ephesians, chapter 1, Paul has a run-on sentence from verses 3 to 12. Paul goes [on, and on, and on] talking and praising God for the blessing of grace. In the English language, you will call this a run-on sentence. It is about the treasured inheritance that believers have because of the Cross. In chapter 1 verse 3, Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” And he goes on and on … and on, one thing right after another. And Paul cannot quit talking about the believer’s position in Christ and how rich believers are. Paul cannot stop talking, so the sentence goes on, and on, and on.

SERMON EXPOSITION 1

Paul stops in verse 4, and again in verse 18, where he says in our Scripture hearing for today these words: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” Paul says, “It dawns on me..… I am so excited about something.” In the middle of his excitement, Paul starts to pray and says, “Lord, for the Christians at the church at Ephesus, would you please have them understand what I am talking about, because I don’t want them to miss this?”

My concern this morning is not that you hear the sermon; I don’t want you to miss it! What God has to say to you this morning will change your life because it is all tied to the Cross. Paul spent the first section of the chapter talking about the Cross and all the freedoms, rights, and benefits that come with the Cross. Paul is talking about all the benefits that come with the Cross. He says in verse 14 that the “Holy Spirit delivers these benefits, who has given us a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s possession to the praise of His glory.” To put this another way, God doesn’t want you to go to heaven before you taste heaven. Paul talks about the pledge of your inheritance. The Greek word pledge means down payment or first installment. And so, you are on your way to heaven if you are a Christian, but God wants you to have a down payment on heaven.

SERMON EXPOSITION 2

God is giving you a down payment, [a] pledge, or a piece of heaven. In verse 3, Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” Who has blessed us? Verse 3 is a pyramid of grace. Paul begins with a blessing, then moves on to spiritual blessing—every spiritual blessing—in the heavenly places, and then he closes with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Everything God has planned for you has already been accomplished. Let me say that again—everything that God will ever do for you, He has already done it.

Please notice the word ‘ed’ is in the word blessed —it means it has already happened[It has already occurred ] and has a deposit with your name on it. Here is some good news: Everything God will ever do for you in time has already been placed in the deposit box called Your Inheritance. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are an inheritor of a portion of God’s will that has been given to you as “the Risen Son of God.”

In verse 19, he says, “The surpassing greatness of His power to those who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might.” Paul illustrates what he means by surpassing power in verse 20. “Which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places.” Paul says, “If you want to know what surpassing power looks like, look at Jesus.” He says, “Look at Jesus, Jesus was crucified, Jesus was nailed to the Cross, but Friday did not determine where things would wind up.”

Friday was a day of deep suffering for Jesus. Physically, Jesus was beaten and bruised beyond recognition. Emotionally, Jesus agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood as He cried out in distress. Spiritually, it was a moment of profound weight, as Jesus bore the burden of sin upon Himself. Friday was a bad day for Jesus. Let me show you how bad Friday was for Jesus. He was separated from His Father—On the Cross, Jesus cried and said “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” It was a bad day … because Jesus lost His friends, Jesus lost His life, and Jesus was separated from His Father.

But Friday wasn’t the last day; it was a bad day because according to the verse, it says, “The surpassing greatness of his power when He raised Jesus from the dead.” In other words, God reversed the day! What began as darkness on Friday night became the victory of Sunday morning, because in the space between, God performed a miraculous work, by raising Jesus up from the dead, bringing life where death had ruled.

SERMON APPLICATION 1

Some of you came to church today feeling worn down, beaten up, and broken down by life’s challenges and circumstances. Some of you came to church this morning emotionally drained, physically weary, spiritually struggling, or facing difficulties in your relationships. You have been beaten up by circumstances that have not worked in your favor, leaving you broken, burdened, and exhausted.

But Paul says, ‘I want you to know about the surpassing greatness of God’s power.’ [Watch This] And then, he says, it is the same power that was working when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, transforming death into life, darkness into light, and defeat into victory. God flipped the script, turning brokenness into restoration, and He connects it all to the person of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

The Cross provides you and me, the opportunity to see what God can do out of the-normal, out of the ordinary, out of the everyday of life – How God can invade the circumstances of life, just like He invaded the tomb of Jesus when He died on the Cross, and flipped things around, turned them, twisted them, and tweaked them….and transforming everything by His mighty power. See, many of us sing about God’s power, we talk about it, and we affirm God’s power with our ‘Amen’, but we cannot testify to His power because we have never seen God flip, turn, twist, tweak something and transform a situation in a way that defies human understanding.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 1

The Bible is divided into two parts—the Old Testament and the New Testament, also known as the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, God’s people lived in expectation, looking forward to His ultimate provision. There was anticipation of God’s final provision, and all the sacrifices and ceremonies were in anticipation of God’s entrance into history.

In the New Testament, those of us living today under the New Covenant look back to the Cross—the foundation of all that God is doing in, through, and for us. Everything is rooted in our relationship to the Cross, and when we lose sight of the Cross’ significance, we miss the fullness of its power and purpose in our lives. When you lose sight of what Jesus accomplished on the Cross, you will lose sight of your inheritance in Him. You end up struggling like everyone else—just trying to make it, trying to get by, and doing the best you can—instead of living in the fullness of God’s provision and power of the Cross.

SERMON EXPOSITION 3

What did Jesus accomplish on the Cross? Paul tells us in verse 20, “Which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, seated Him at the right hand in heavenly places.” [Watch This], In verse 21, he says, “Far above all rule, authority, power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but in the age to come.” Paul talks about two different time zones: The present age, in which we live now, and the eternal age, the age to come. So, we are not just talking about heaven, we are talking about what Jesus is accomplishing today on our behalf, (in this present age), living right here in the nasty here and now. He says Jesus Christ was seated, after His ascension, far above all rule, authority, dominion, and power.

In other words, no matter how high anybody in your world is, they are not the final authority because somebody is sitting far above all rulers, authorities, dominions, and powers. No matter what you face or who stands against you, they do not have the final word. Why? Because no matter how powerful they are, there is One who is seated far above, exalted beyond all rule, authority, dominion, and power!

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 1

Authority is the right to exercise power. In football, the referees are not the strongest men on the field. They are not the fastest; they are older and slower. But, when the referees throw the yellow flag, everything must stop—the biggest players have to stop, the fastest people have to slow down, and the entire game stops. Why? Because the players may have strength and power, but the referees have greater authority that overrules the players’ power and strength.

SERMON EXPOSITION 4

See, far too many folks today are searching for the wrong thing—looking for the wrong thing –seeking power when you need to exercise authority. And the reason why far too many Christians today are losing more than winning, struggling rather than walking in victory, is because we are chasing power instead of embracing the rightful use of authority. Open your Bibles to Colossians 2, because I don’t want you to miss this. Colossians 2 shows how the Cross is directly connected to our authority in Christ Jesus. Beginning with verse 13, “And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross.” “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”

Paul declares that God forgave your transgressions, and the certificate of ordinances—the record of charges against you—[Paul says] was canceled when Christ was nailed to the Cross. Now, watch this—this concept is taken from a Roman tradition. In Rome, when a person was incarcerated for a crime, a certificate of decree would be written, listing the crimes—murder, theft, or any wrongdoing—as the official record of guilt. This registered certificate document was proof of their punishment, detailing the reasons for their imprisonment.

But, through the Cross, God erased that record, wiping away the charges, releasing the debt, and granting complete forgiveness and freedom in Christ. That certificate of sins was the record of everything that had kept you in bondage. But the Scripture says, “On the Cross, Jesus Christ tore up the certificate that stood against you.” Why is this so important? Because the devil uses the certificate of sins to try to block God's work in your life! “God, You cannot bless the folks at Anointed church because they have done this, this, and this.” But Jesus responds: “Yes, but all that was settled at the Cross. So, you cannot use those charges to hold them back, because I have already canceled them!” The devil cannot hold you hostage anymore over what has already been forgiven and erased on the Cross.

Satan was disarmed and defeated at the Cross! Satan, his demons, and his human followers are not the last word, and they do not have the final say over your life. Your boss is not the last word. The economy is not the last word. Your circumstances are not the last word. Paul says Christ sits far above all rule and authority. Jesus Christ is the supreme Ruler, holding absolute power over all things and all people! When trouble comes, your first response should not be a complaint but praise. Why? Because this situation is not the final word. It doesn’t hold the ultimate authority. I know Someone higher than every rule and power, the One who makes the final call on every matter.

This changes your whole approach to life because you relate [back] to the Cross. That is why Revelation 12:11 says, “They overcame him by the Blood.” The blood is the Cross, the Cross is the victory—the triumph over Satan, his demons, and even those who bring trials into your life. None of them holds the final authority. The Cross settled it all, declaring that God alone has the last word! The Cross cancelled the certificate of charges written against you—it has been cancelled and paid in full! That is why the Bible says in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

The Bible says the devil is a liar—because his goal is to make you believe the lie for the truth. If you believe the lie, you will live by it, and you will function on it, and you won’t get the benefits of the truth. But the truth is always rooted in God’s Word—that is authority! God wants you to know that what the Cross has provided is victory over your enemies, and Jesus Christ is seated—you say, ‘But that is good for Jesus, but what about me?’

SERMON EXPOSITION 5

Turn back to Ephesians, let me give you a last word. Ephesians, chapter 2, beginning with verse 5, “Even when we were dead in our transgression, He made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ.”  Jesus Christ sits in heavenly authority, and right beside Jesus, there is a seat for you! Scripture declares that we have been spiritually relocated, positioned with Jesus in victory. So why do you feel defeated? Because you don’t realize where you are seated! You are still thinking and functioning as if you are bound to Earth, when in reality, you are called to operate from a heavenly perspective.

Paul says, physically, we are here on earth, but spiritually, we have been seated with Christ in heavenly places. And where is Christ seated? Far above all rule, authority, dominion, and power! Jesus reigns above, and we are positioned with Him; we must approach life spiritually to walk in spiritual authority. If you want to operate in divine authority, you must do so from your rightful seat above, not from the limitations of this earthly position. Earth's seat doesn’t give you authority; it makes you like any other human being. Your power comes from where you are seated in Christ!

This discussion is still open until I get the final word from the One who sits Far Above all rule, authority, dominion, and power. This has not closed! It may be closed for you—it changes your whole approach to life. You walk, but you don’t walk in defeat, you walk in victory because it is far above all rule and authority. When you operate from Christ’s perspective and stand in divine authority, the enemy’s power over your life is nullified. You can speak with confidence knowing that only God gives the final word! That is why, when God reveals something to you, the opinions of others—whether they say “no” or declare “it cannot happen”—become irrelevant. Their conclusions do not determine your destiny.

The discussion remains open until you get the final word from the One who sits and reigns far above all rule, authority, dominion, and power! It may look closed from a human perspective, but it is not over until Jesus says it is over. Because of the Cross, you don’t walk in defeat; you walk in victory, and your confidence is rooted in the authority of Christ Jesus.

FAITH APPEAL, CALL to ACTION, and ALTAR CALL

Let me conclude this sermon with a practical application on prayer. And so, when you pray, “Oh Lord, the enemy is attacking me,” that is only half the prayer—you cannot stop there! You have to declare the whole truth because the Bible is the whole counsel of God. Your prayer should be: “The enemy may be pressing in, but You already settled the outcome at Calvary! You promised me, ‘Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!’” Your prayer should not end in defeat—it must proclaim the victory that Christ has already won for you at the Cross.

Stop offering half-prayers to God—giving only part of the story! “They are beating me down at work, struggling at home, my kids, my spouse, the economy—it is all weighing on me… Help me, Jesus, Amen.” That is not a prayer of victory—[that is a prayer of defeat]; that is a prayer from someone who acts like Jesus is still on the Cross! But Jesus is not on the Cross—He has risen, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He rules with all authority! So, when you come to God, pray with confidence, because even when the rulers of this world seem powerful, you have access to a greater authority—the One that overrules every earthly power. His name is Jesus.

Somebody bless and praise the name of Jesus because you came here defeated but you are leaving here in victory! You came in lost, but you are leaving found—because you know your identity in Christ. The Cross has defeated the enemy! Even if you had a bad week—bless the name of Jesus!! If the day was tough, bless His Name! If your finances are tight right now, bless His Name! If you are walking through struggles, bless His Name, because He has already declared where this is heading! And if you are here right now—hear this—you may have walked in one way, but you will walk out another. You came in feeling like a victim, but you are leaving as a victor, because you are seated in Christ! Your victory is yours in Christ! 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 authority of the Cross!

BENEDICTION [CLOSING PRAYER]

Join me in prayer, please.

And so, Father God, I “Thank You” first for the unsearchable riches of Christ. I pray that Your people, called by Your name, redeemed by Your blood, delivered by the Cross, indwelt by Your Holy Spirit, may have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Your Son Jesus Christ that they may live in confidence. That they may live with power and the authority of the Cross. May Your people understand the surpassing greatness of the Cross, the authority and power of the Cross available to them, and the greatness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We offer ourselves as an act of worship to You and Your Son Jesus Christ who died on the Cross, was resurrected on the third and ascended to heaven and is seated on Your right hand, the place of power, strength, and authority so that You are made manifest through us and receive all the glory. Give us a heart to pursue the knowledge of Christ, and we ask for all this in Christ’s holy name. And everyone says, Amen.

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