Sermon - The Cross Where Victory Was Won

The Cross Where Victory Was Won

There was a best-selling book a few years ago entitled. The Book of Virtues

1 Self-Discipline
2 Compassion
3 Responsibility
4 Friendship
5 Work
6 Courage
7 Perseverance
8 Honesty
9 Loyalty
10 Faith

These are all great qualities but there is one missing that encompasses all else.

Humility.

This morning we are going to Look at the Cross – Where Victory was won. Through Humility

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Spiritual Warfare is an interesting topic.

· In some circles there is too much talk about the devil and demons

· In other circles not enough.

Here is our view of Satan and demons.

· We believe in them.

· We don’t dwell on them

We don’t give them more credit than they deserve

But we also don’t underestimate their power.

Let’s take a look at Satan.

He was an angel.
He is a created being.
Therefore He does not have God like attributes.

He is not omniscient – all knowing
He is not omnipresent – everywhere always
He is not omnipotent – all powerful

He is subject to God.

Here in lies the problem. He fell because of pride.

Isa 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

Isa 14:13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.

Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."

2. The Sin (vv. 13-14).

· ”I will ascend into heaven.’’

· “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.’’ (Either actual stars or other angels.)

· ”I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.’’ (Either assembly of angels or of Israel under messianic rule.)

· “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds [usurp the glory of God].’’

· ”I will be like the most High.’’ (Satan wanted to be the possessor of heaven and earth.) His sin is called pride in 1 Timothy 3:6, and it may be characterized as counterfeiting God (like the Most High).

He has great power

· To lie

o John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

· To tempt

o Mat 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

o Mat 4:2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

o Mat 4:3 The tempter came to him and said,

o He will come to you when you are weak

· To accuse

o Rev 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

o Accuse you before God

§ Look what they have done

o Accuse God before you

§ Where is God?

§ Maybe he forgot about you

§ Maybe he won’t forgive you

He will use every trick scheme

· 2 Cor 2:11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

As we have mentioned much of our culture is built around pride.

He is a self made man

Pull yourself up by your boot straps

Look at what I have done

Look what I have

Look out for #1

No one is going to watch out for you, you have to take care of yourself

Even church life.

What’s in it for me?

I’m not being fed

The pastor never calls me – that’s a good thing

The pastor never stops by for a visit? Why? Are you dying? Have you just gotten home from surgery?

We can become very self-centered. This is why the prosperity gospel is so popular. God wants you to be rich and live in luxury. It fits our culture perfectly.

I believe God wants you to be blessed.

Work hard and He will provide.

A man should provide for his family

· 1 Tim 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

He wants you to be rich enough to share, to give, to make a difference.

He does not want you to loose your soul to become rich.

· Prov 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.

It is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of needle.

To the rich young ruler he said to sell all he had and give to the poor.

Mat 19:22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

It is not God’s desire for you to be rich. It is His desire for you to be saved, to worship him alone, to share what he has given you, If He has given you a lot, you should share a lot.

Prov 22:2 Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.

Christianity is Cross-centered.

I have always wondered why Satan would kill Jesus if he knew he would be defeated on the cross.

Satan didn’t understand the implications of the cross.

He didn’t understand the power of humility.

Pride doesn’t understand humility.

1 Cor 2:6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

1 Cor 2:7 No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

1 Cor 2:8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The power of Satan was broken on the cross of Jesus Christ.

· Col 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

· Col 2:14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

· Col 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Humility overcomes pride.

Pride can never understand it.

The cross breaks the power of pride in our lives.

We recognize our responsibility and our need of repentance.
Confess our sins to God.
Repentance

o Stop doing what is wrong

o Start doing what is right.

o Repentance is not an act of emotion but an act of the will.

How do we crush the power of Satan in our lives.

Humility

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

When we live humbly – The Cross brings victory to our lives.

Habits are broken

My pleasure is not my greatest concern

o Phil 3:18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

o Phil 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

Relationships are healed

Saving face is not the main objective
2 Cor 2:10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,
2 Cor 2:11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Sin is defeated

I will only worship the Lamb

Humility

By coming to the cross –for salvation

o I have sinned

o I need you, my savior and king

o Thank you for dying for my sins

By caring the cross daily – for sanctification

o I no longer have to live for myself

§ What is best for me

§ What makes me feel good

§ What makes me happy

§ What I want

I live for Jesus – He died for me.