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| Pastor Sam Falade |
INTRODUCTION:
· We
will look at the cross as a symbol of radical commitment. And not just in
theory.
· Many
of us have faced painful choices where we have struggled to obey God. Breaking
off a cherished relationship with an unbeliever. Giving up a good well paying
career to enter Bible College and Christian work. Separation from family for
the sake of the gospel. Financial hardship. Isolation. Fear of ridicule. These
all play their part. Being a Christian is a difficult and often expensive
commitment.
· If
this life alone were to be considered then we are crazy to follow Christ, for
persecution is inevitable (1 Cor. 15:19; 2 Tim. 3:12).
· Firstly,
we will look at what the cross meant in terms of radical commitment for Jesus,
then what it means in terms of radical commitment for us.
1.
WHAT
THE CROSS MEANT IN TERMS OF RADICAL COMMITMENT FOR JESUS (Philippians 2:5-11;
Hebrews 12:2)
· The
cross was for Jesus
o A
movement from kingly authority in Heaven to a servant nature on earth.
o A
letting go of His rightful status (as God) without feeling "robbed"
or ripped off.
o A
humbling of Himself in obedience.
o A
suffering of death on behalf of others.
o Something
deeply shameful and humiliating.
o Something
to be endured.
· He
answered the challenge the cross presented by:
o Looking
to "the joy set before Him"—the reward from God.
o Perfectly
obeying.
o Enduring
shame.
o Completing
the task He began as the "Author" of our faith and the "Finisher"
as well.
2.
WHAT
THE CROSS MEANS IN TERMS OF RADICAL COMMITMENT FOR THE CHRISTIAN (Luke 9:23-27)
· Here
we see what the cross involves for us... Self-denial; Daily humble obedience;
Following Jesus; Losing our lives—throwing them away for Jesus' sake. Weighing
up the long-term consequences. Not being ashamed of God—willing to suffer shame
in this world for glory in the next.
· This
can be very costly and Jesus spells it out for us in Luke 14:25-35.
· The
costs Jesus mentions include: Family relationships; Your own life; Bearing the
cross; Coming after Jesus—suffering His fate in identification with Him;
Carefully thinking through the cost; Forsaking all; Not compromising and so
losing one's flavour and "bite".
· From
time to time, the earliest Christians struggled with their lot and the sheer
exhaustion of the sacrifices they were making—including confiscation of
property, imprisonment and martyrdom (Heb. 12:1-3).
· They
were called to make Jesus their example at such time and indeed we can see the
similarity between what the cross meant for Jesus and what it means for us.
THE
CROSS FOR JESUS
|
THE
CROSS FOR US
|
Letting go of
His status of God
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Deny
ourselves...
|
Death on a
cross
|
Not loving
our own life, "losing our life"
|
Taking the
form of a servant
|
Daily humble
obedience "take up our cross daily".
|
Endured the
cross
|
Do not become
weary or discouraged
|
For the joy
set before Him
|
Counting the
cost of discipleship, factoring in eternity
|
Obedient unto
death...
|
No
compromise, remain "salty"
|
Despising the
shame
|
Not being
ashamed of Jesus but confessing Him before men
|
The
"finisher" of our faith
|
Run with
endurance the race set before us - until the end
|
Endured
hostility from sinners against himself
|
All who live
godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
|
· As
we take the cross into our own lives, we take on board a special relationship
with God as well (Phil. 3:10-11; Col. 1:24-25).
· In
Colossians 1:24, Paul writes of Christ's sufferings as "lacking.” He does
not mean that they lacked in redemptive power. The wonderful redemptive power
of the cross was Paul's gospel, and he knew he could not add to that! Rather
the "lack" is in the delivery of that good news to the world. Christ
suffered to purchase men from sin. Paul suffers to get them to understand what
Jesus Christ has done for their forgiveness.
· The
sufferings of Christ need to be "added to" by the sufferings of Paul
and other preachers of the gospel, if the church is to be built. We are like
people on a relief mission with food for the hungry—being waylaid by
opportunistic bandits and profiteers—the forces of darkness (Eph 6:12).
· So
our cross works with Christ's Cross to produce the Church.
o Christ's
cross wins the victory for souls; our cross applies that victory to souls.
o Christ's
cross brings reconciliation with God; our cross makes us ambassadors of Christ
and ministers of that reconciliation.
· God
has tied the power of his gospel and the fate of His church to the preparedness
of His saints to suffer, take up their crosses daily, and follow Him.
· Lets
finish with Paul's exhortation to Timothy, a fellow minister of Christ (2 Tim.
1:8-12).
Pastor Sam Falade
Assistant Director of Sunday School,
CAC Worldwide.
Pastor Sam Falade
Assistant Director of Sunday School,
CAC Worldwide.
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