Living A Cross Shaped Life

If you have your Bibles and I hope you do…

I am so excited about this series of messages over the next few weeks. This is not the typical series for me. I usually teach right out of a book of the Bible and work our way through it, but this series is one where we will be looking at several passages of Scripture each week to support the direction for this series of messages.

I have been refreshed and reminded of some of our church history over the past few months as I have been preparing this series in the background. A term that I came across a couple of years ago is one that I had never heard, and it caught my attention.

CRUCIFORM à cruci = cross form = shape.

I began reading about this term and discovered that in the middle ages, something happened in our church history. Some of the great, magnificent cathedrals in Europe began a trend in their architectural design. They began the structural design known as CRUCIFORM.

OUR LADY OF PARIS is one of those cathedrals, it is one that you have heard of and has been featured in several movies over the years including a Disney animated classic… The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The Cathedral in Paris had it’s cornerstone set on March 25, 1163 and was completed in 1260. SLIDE. You can see that it is a magnificent structure. I had the privilege of standing in the courtyard of Notre Dame when Catherine and I visited Tom and Anna King when they were serving as IMB missionaries in Paris.

You might not be able to see the CRUCIFORM from this animated drawing of the building, but you can see it from this ariel view SLIDE. You can clearly see the shape of the cross in the design of the building.

When this structural design started becoming the thing to do in the Middle Ages, it was considered to be the “poor man’s Bible.” Why did it take on that identity? Because most of the people of that day were illiterate and the CRUCIFORM churches were filled with Bible stories and Bible lessons. From the shape of the building to the stained glass windows were pictures of significant events in Scripture. Even though people couldn’t read, they could come in and see the stories of the Bible all around them. The art and architecture of these sanctuaries taught two central biblical truths: *God’s just judgement against the sinfulness of mankind; **and God’s gracious provision of salvation from his wrath through the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These cathedrals were intentionally built to teach theology to people that entered the building. The central message of these buildings was the message of the gospel, the message of the cross.

Each week, I will introduce you to another CRUCIFORM structure. The basis for this series of messages comes out of the idea that there may be people all around us that are biblically illiterates. They have no idea what the Bible is about or who Jesus is, or any thoughts about God.

Living a CRUCIFORM life means that you and I live in a way that when people enter into our sphere of relationships, they can learn about God, they can begin getting an idea of how Jesus has influenced you.They can begin grasping the ideas of God which might lead them to want to know more about what you believe. By looking at your life, they can begin to see the gospel message, the message of Jesus Christ.

In the first quarter of this year, we have asked you to make a commitment to daily prayer. No matter where you started, I am asking you to grow in your prayer life. Many of you accepted the challenge to consistently pray. To pray daily. To grow in your prayer life. In the past 3 months, we have asked you to identify 3 people in your life that don’t know Jesus and begin praying for them every day. You may have noticed that “my 3” is on the bookmarks we have for you each week. One of the greatest things you can do for a person is to pray for them. The greatest thing you can give them is the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Over the next few weeks, I want to look practically at what it means for you and I to live a life that has been shaped by the gospel of Jesus Christ. From the foundation of the gospel message, to the words that come out of mouth, to the servants heart that is being developed every day of our life.

Churches today are not built in the CRUCIFORM pattern, but Christian lives are to continue to be shaped by the life of Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross for you and I.

One of the tasks that I have been given in Scripture is to prepare the saints, those that God has called me to shepherd, to equip you for the work of the ministry, for the building up the body of Christ.

SLIDE “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,”

Ephesians 4:11-12 ESV

This series is meant to train and equip. Now, one of the ways this series will be most effective is for you to talk about it and practice those things being taught. Check and make sure that my teaching is in alignment with the whole counsel of God’s Word. Make sure that I am not just sharing my ideas and throwing some Scripture in just to make my point.

I want you to make sure that these are biblical principles and then I need you to talk about them and practice them. Notice them in your daily life and begin to grow in them.

The apostle Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 6:19-20 (YELLOW TAB)that both individual in the church and the church as a whole are temples where the Spirit and glory of God lives. The biblical blueprint calls for Christians and churches to live out what we will be calling a “CRUCIFORM LIFE.”

The work of the ministry that comes from the shape of the cross is the idea of a “servant.” The word “MINISTRY” in this verse is the Greek word “diakanos” or deacon. The word deacon is a servant.

Now, we are familiar with the Great Commission that Jesus gives us in Matthew 28:19-20. Look at it with me. SLIDE The form of the verb “go” at the beginning of the verse literally means “as you are going.”

At banquets, servants would oversee people that were reclining at tables and would take care of their needs. You remember when Jesus was at Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ house, and Martha came to Jesus complaining that Mary had left her all alone to do the serving.

Jesus was certainly our model as a servant.

Jesus said in Matthew 20:28, Jesus said, “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve.”

In John 13, we see Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

Luke 22:27, Jesus said to his disciples, “For who is greater; one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” Jesus was the chief servant.

We are not unfamiliar with this concept. You go to a restaurant and there is a server for your table. This server has a grouping of tables that he or she serves. Fills water glasses, takes orders, delivers food. They serve those tables they have been assigned.

Do you realize that you have been assigned a section of tables?People in your realm of influence that you are called to serve? We, as followers of Jesus, we have people all around us that are in need of the ministry of service of reconciliation to God.

SLIDE

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 à(RED TAB) We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Our lives are to be shaped by the cross of Jesus. A CRUCIFORM LIFE.

What do I mean by that?

Vertical relationship with God

Horizontal relationship with others. Those that seated at the tables we have been assigned to serve.

Look with me at 2 Corinthians 10:13-18(GREEN TAB) where Paul is defending his ministry.

READ THIS PASSAGE.

Understand this, you have been assigned a group of tables. In your sphere of relationships, God wants to use you as an ambassador. Living in a way that people who know nothing of God can look at you and begin to see what God is all about.

Will you live a CRUCIFORM LIFE, understanding that you have been assigned a set of people that need the gospel message?

Joel, how do I start? What do you want me to do this week? Good question. I am glad you asked.

So, in the mindset of a servant…

As you are going…

SLIDE

1. Keep WATCH.

Like a seasoned server in a fine restaurant, learn to look out for the needs of people.Carefully watch. Prayerfully consider the physical and spiritual needs of those people in your sphere of influence.

We have been identifying and praying for our 3 people that don’t know Jesus. Starting now, will you be hyper-sensitive to their needs. KEEP WATCH. Just like a good server at a restaurant, be quick to see those needs.

I wonder if your neighbors have needs? Will you keep watch for any physical or spiritual needs and then make them a matter of prayer.

2. Be AVAILABLE.

A good server at a restaurant is good at anticipating a need. They see a water glass getting low and they go and fill it up. They are on the ready to act.

ILLUSTRATION: Out to dinner with Catherine on Friday night. Our server left my water glass empty long enough for another server to notice and stop and fill it.

One of the ways we can live a cross shaped life this week is to be on the ready.When we see or anticipate a need, we are ready to act. Don’t just be on the look out, be ready to act. Be available.

In the arena of sport, it is one thing to be a great player, it is another thing to be available. How many great players never hit their stride because there is an injury or something else that happens. Being available is a valuable asset.

3. Be WILLING.

This is an attitude comment. We can notice a need, and we can be available, but the deeper question is “Am I willing” to serve that person?

It has been said that we love to consider ourselves servants until someone treats us like one.

Friends, listen, Jesus never said this would be easy. In fact he said that serving others “just as I have done to you” (John 13:15) would mean to “deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.” (Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)

This might be the toughest application point this week. Are you willing to serve the unlovely tomorrow? Will you allow them to see how your life has been shaped by Jesus and the results of the cross?

4. Show HOSPITALITY.

The three things that we have just looked at are all supported by another attitude. The attitude of hospitality.

Hospitality opens our hearts, hands and heads to others that are in our section of tables.

I don’t know if you have ever considered the word hospitality. The root word is hospital. A place of healing. A place of restoration. What a beautiful attitude to have toward those that are in our area of influence.

I think this will be a fun and exciting journey over the next few weeks as we look at our lives being a place where people can find hope, healing, and refreshment, hope that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

---------------------------------------------------

As I close this morning, I want to invite you to add something to our prayer commitment wall. I want to invite you to come up and write the names or initials, whatever you are comfortable writing up there. Those that you are praying for their salvation.

In the coming three months, I want to ask you to move your friendship with your 3 people to another level. If you have just been at a superficial level, I want to encourage you to start going deeper with that person.

Here is how you can open that door.

“My pastor at my church has encouraged us to pray for our friends. I know you may not believe in prayer, but I do, and I wonder if God could do something big in your life, what would you ask for? I want to start praying for you.”

Next month, I simply would ask you to circle back to your friend and ask how things are going? Is there anything else I can pray for?