Crossroads
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26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
Introduction.
Introduction.
A crossroad is a junction in your life, a place where you could go a different direction.
A crossroads is a place where you must make a decision, you can’t put it off any more.
This camp is a crossroads.
Precious Lord, we are now standing at a crossroads, we’ve been brought to a place, to whether it is, we must accept it or discard it. We cannot go out this doors of this place tonight as we were when we come in, we either go out better or worse.
Lord, grant that every man and woman in here will go out filled with the Holy Spirit, go back to their home church and be a real Christian in it. 59-0405E - "The Queen Of Sheba"
Bro. Branham talks about a crossroads of life.
God, there may be a young man setting here today, or a young woman, just stepping out on the crossroads of life. 52-0720A - "Life Story"
There is a danger at a crossroads.
Another young girl just at the crossroads of life, where Satan could hold her there. 56-0902 - "The Handwriting On The Wall"
To see these young women coming, weeping, life before them! They’re at the crossroads. They are victim of circumstances. Do you realize, old men, when we were boys, our boys has got ten times the temptation that we had? Sister, do you realize that your daughter has ten times the temptation you had when you was a girl? What will her daughter have? Look at the things, the pictures the devil is a painting. 56-1125E - "A Blushing Prophet"
It used to be cigarette billboards now its social media.
Not just danger, but opportunity.
Young folks, you’re right at the crossroads of life, listen, sister and brother, oh, this is your hour. 58-0503 - "The Queen Of Sheba"
Let these young people pattern their life, standing at the crossroads tonight, may they choose the right way that there’ll be no sadness at the day of departing. 60-0716 - "From That Time"
Here stands men and women, even little ladies, little girls standing here with bowed heads, and tears in their eyes, right at the crossroads of life. I think where they could wind up, down there in that twisting, rock-and-roll, devil-possessed, demon-oppressed group.
Here they are, standing here tonight with bowed hearts, wanting something that they can put their hands on, to say, “Lord God, cleanse me from all the things of the world.” 62-0121E - "The Marriage Of The Lamb"
Many of you older young people have made a decision, you’ve come to the crossroads, you’ve received the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
There are still crossroads for you to come to, decisions for you to make.
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Simon the Cyrene stood at a crossroads.
We don’t know much about him, we know he came from Africa, perhaps he was a Jewish proselyte, maybe he was there as a businessman.
He found himself, seemingly by accident, at a junction, a crossroads, waiting for a condemned man to come through.
Oh, He may permit crossroads. He may permit crossroads to try us, to perfect us for His service. 64-0112 - "Shalom"
Some of you may wonder why you haven’t moved on yet in life, maybe you feel stuck and you’re getting restless. He brought you there for a reason.
He may permit cross words, let them laugh at you for having long hair, let them laugh at you for saying why you become a holy-roller or whatever more.
They may laugh at you for that, that’s all right. That’s a crossroad, that’s a little junction. That’s to prove something. 64-0112 - "Shalom"
He may want to take something out of you.
Like a drowning man in the river, you have to take the man out of the river before you can get the river out of the man. That’s right. You have to get him out of the river first, then you get the river out of him.
Sometime God has to do it that way. He permits the junctions, crossroads to do that. Stand on His promises, the Word, for they never fail. The future, that’s in His hand. 64-0112 - "Shalom"
Illustrate: Growing Pains
Oh, yes, He permits crosses and crossroads and junctions. He always does that, in order to perfect us for His service. He permits those things to happen. Can’t you understand that? He does that so He can perfect you for the calling He has called you for. That’s your growing pains. 64-0119 - "Shalom"
Simon happened to have a front row seat, as the Son of God, rejected by the ones He came to save, used his last ounce of strength to bring the cross right to Simon’s feet, and He fell.
Redemption paused. Heaven was silent. We could not be redeemed, unless someone assisted, when the body of Christ was weak.
God is not weak, He did not fall, but His body did.
He could have called ten thousand angels to carry His cross, but He chose Simon the Cyrene.
When the body of Christ fell on the via dalarosa, Simon was there to carry His cross.
I don’t want great fortune or fame, just let me be there when your body is weak, let me be a bystander who is compelled to take up the cross.
Simon was not there by chance. You were not placed in your family by chance. In God’s great drama, you play a part. Some have to be the high priests, some have to be the guards, some are disciples, and some carry His cross.
Many of you have started careers, or are about to. Some of you are married or engaged, others are desperately looking. Maybe you’ve just finished college, got your degree in your hand.
What now?
You’re at a crossroads.
Look before you! The body of Christ needs your help.
The generation before you took the Message around the world, planted churches, translated sermons, preached in the jungles, dealt with doctrinal strife, moral failure, disappointments of all kinds.
Many of them came out of bad church situations, came together and made good churches, they became deacons, trustees, song leaders.
Now you’ve grown up going to camp after camp, folks have made time for you, waited on you, made you feel special.
Now it’s your turn.
Simon was compelled to carry the cross.
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
Mark gives us an interesting detail.
21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
Simon’s children became so well known, he didn’t have to explain to the early church who they were.
13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
Do want to make a difference for your children? Do what needs to be done, it might be the thing that is necessary for the rest of the body of Christ to carry on their work.
Someone has to do it. God doesn’t use mechanical devices, He uses men and women sold out to His cause.
Your’e at a crossroads. We need missionaries. Churches need pastors. We need evangelists on the field.
You can’t do that unless God calls you, but you can do something.
But, then, the thing to do, your position is usually known whether you can do it or not. 61-0112 - "Questions And Answers"
Do the hard things. Don’t just preach in places where there are lots of folks who agree with you, find someplace you can be a help.
Some of you are thinking “I go to a small church, I can’t make a difference”. You’ll make much more of a difference in a small church than a big one.
15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
Addicted means “ordered”. They have arranged their lives to serve others.
Someone has to carry the Message.
Are you compelled to see the Message reach the ends of the earth? Is there something you could rearrange so you could be a blessing to others?
Illustrate: Sister Fritz transcribing tapes
Many of your parents and grandparents gave everything to see this Message reach your generation.
Lets finish the job.
Do you know how much of a difference Simon made in His family?
Do you want to change the story of your family? Carry your cross. Do you want to make a difference? Break generational curses? Pick up your cross.
Simon so changed his family’s history that nearly 2000 years later when Bro. Branham prayed for a blind girl in Jonesboro, Arkansas he reminded God that she was one of Simon’s children. Over and over again when he prayed for folks of African descent he spoke of Simon.
(Cleft lip baby in Africa)
Picking up the cross brings lasting change, not momentary fame. The cross doesn’t look like success.
The figure of the Crucified invalidates all thought which takes success for its standard. Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Ministry is not easy. Being a preacher’s wife or a deacon’s wife isn’t easy.
Bro. Branham suffered at crossroads in His ministry.
When he tells his life story he says this:
O God, have mercy. I just think back across the streaks of tears and heartaches and troubles, O Father, and I’m ashamed of all of my life. Why didn’t I know You before? And I’ve tried with all my heart, dear Jesus, to live for You, to do the thing, no matter what this cross is, or how scornful it seems to be. I love You, dear Jesus, You’ve broken my heart over and over, but I love You for it. 51-0722a - "Life Story"
Conclusion
Conclusion
Illustrate: Woman with drunk husband.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.
The consecrated cross I’ll bear
Till death shall set me free;
And then go home my crown to wear,
For there’s a crown for me.
Originally written:
Must Simon bear the cross alone,
And other saints be free?
Each saint of thine shall find his own
And there is one for me.
Thomas Shepherd
