This is the video that really sets this message up really well.
Acts 18 – gives us the context of Paul’s message to those in Corinth. He would normally first began in the Jewish synagogue and gain an audience there. He would reason with those there that Christ had to suffer and die. Once he got kicked out of there, he went next door to Titius Justus. (specifically v6,7)
was a significant place because of its geographical location. It was a great place for trade, being on the coast, for athletics as well. It was the temple of Aphrodite...the god of sexuality that would stand prominent on their skyline.
The cross is mission critical to my preaching because it holds the very teaching of the Word. The cross speaks to the power of God in the judgment and payment of sin. We stand here today only because of the finished work of the cross. It isn’t a message that is readily accepted by our world where even in Christian circles, there is the teaching of reaching our own divinity, that it is within us. The world doesn’t understand the cross because it looks like weakness, defeat and helplessness. And it is all that, because in Christ, our weakness, defeat and helplessness to sin will dealt a death blow at the cross.
To the majority of the world that watch as bystanders to the cross, it appears that a man was arrested, given a quick trial, and executed. It appears to them that if Jesus was really God's Son, that God was unable to do anything.
It would appear that Paul had a recipe for disaster. He certainly was hated by many; however God’s power and plan as we see in revealed in weakness.
The message of the Cross is POWERFUL because it
1. reveals the central plan of God
2. brings clarity to our sinfulness
3. is absolutely critical to the heart of the Christian Faith
The central plan of God
The message of the cross...even in the OT was pointing forward to a great sacrifice, the one who was to come would be a king who would reign, a priest, a prophet
Overview of the Power of the Cross
1. Covenant. The cross is all about “covenant”, It was the beginning of the new covenant, a new agreement made by God for us (Lk.22:20). In and of itself, the Old Covenant did everything it was supposed to do. It was there to point us forward, to know that there was a Messiah coming and He would be a suffering servant. The cross of Christ was the fulfillment of the Law. The law served its purpose of making us aware of sinfulness; however it was incomplete. The law was incapable of bringing life to us, the law could never make us righteous.
The Old Testament through prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke of a day when that power would be made available and God would make a new covenant with his people that would replace the old (Jer.31:31-34). The New Covenant included God’s law being written on our hearts along with the internal ability to obey by the power of the Holy Spirit who is in us (Rom.8:3).
2. Reconciliation.The cross is also about “reconciliation” between God and us (Col.1:13-29).
There are two components to our reconciliation:
Vertical – between God and man reaching out to everyone who has ever lived and needing to become right with God
Horizontal – between people (Eph. 2:14-18) In the power of the cross, we can experience forgiveness with each other and we are called to a life of forgiveness with others. In that reconciliation, we are called to forgive those who have offended and to seek healing in our relationships... as much as it depends on us to live at peace with everyone.
3. Overcoming.The cross is also about Jesus overcoming the devil and his plan. It’s about Jesus’ ultimate defeat of our arch enemy and sacking his kingdom. (Col.2:13-15).
It is about Jesus overcoming Satan, sin and sickness and inaugurating the arrival of God’s kingdom which is known by righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Realize as well that it is not about Jesus who overcomes, but for us as His servants who also are overcomers through Him and because of Him.
Christ lives in us and we have every opportunity to be conquerors no matter what situation we face, no matter how dark. A believer may often be in times of deep desperation, but should never be in despair! (1 Jn.5:4-5. Rev.2:7. 1 Cor.10:13-14. Rom.8:35-39).
Is there something too painful that you are unable to deal with? Is there something that you struggle with that beats you around like a rag doll every time you try to face it? The power of Christ’s cross is not just another self help mechanism. It is an all out drag down, total control takeover! It is ours by faith if we simply accept and receive it.
4. Substitution.
Simply put, Jesus stepped in and took our place. He was our sinless substitute who died in our place for the crimes we committed. It is the essence of the gospel. It was a debt that we could never pay back and He paid it all in our place. He faced our penalty and made it possible for us to receive the most precious gift known to mankind. In taking our sin, He then clothed us in His righteousness and made us whole through His forgiveness. We now stand in His righteousness alone, the guilt of our sin has been removed and the death sentence hanging over us is now gone.
1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 1 Peter 2:24
5. Salvation. The last and most important quality of the cross is that it brought our salvation.
Salvation” means to be rescued or delivered from something or someone. So what are we saved from?
• sin and its consequences,
• from the devil,
• from ourselves,
• from hell,
• from pain and suffering,
• from rejection,
• from fear,
• every evil, negative and destructive thing. Salvation is the very purpose for Jesus coming into the world (1 Tim.1:15. Acts 4:12. Rom.1:16. 1 Thess.5:9-10). We have been saved (past) are being saved (present) and are yet to be saved (future). Mark Connor
As the time progresses, the closer the gospels get to Jerusalem, the slower the biographies become of Jesus and we see with greater focus on the giving of His life than on the living of His life. Most biographies center around the living not the dying. That is usually the end of the story, but it is a new and powerful beginning for Christ Jesus.
It is a message that brings clarity to our sinfulness
**Whenever we take our eyes of the cross, we will lose our way around Scripture. It is the pivotal event of human history.
Think about how many sermons start with fixing our felt needs....we fail to understand than you can fix it all in the here and now and still be destined for hell.
I will declare the necessity of the cross, preach the meaning of the cross and I will not shy away from the offence of the cross.
1 Peter 2:24 He bore our sins in his own body on the tree.
It’s an offence to people because it strikes right at the heart of the human condition. We are not all born innocent...sorry Sarah McLaughlin. It hits our pride because we are unable to save ourselves. We are unworthy and unacceptable.
The teaching of the cross establishes the reality of my complete separation from God apart from Christ’s sacrifice.
It is executing the punishment of God for the payment for the price of sin. Christ took upon Himself the sins that He never committed.
The awfulness of sin is seen in the cross, it was seen in Gethsemane from the awfulness and the awesomeness of the weight of sin
It makes us aware of the gravity of sin and the necessity of grace.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us to become the righteousness of God...Something that could only be received through the cross of Calvary and freely given to me because of Jesus.
It is out of the mouth of babes that we can get an incredible insight.
Rylan shared with me after the Good Friday service last week....’ “I had no idea just how much Jesus went through....He must have really loved us to do that!!’
Look at the man who was dying on the cross next to Jesus who said, ‘we deserve what we are getting’ in Luke 23:41
It is absolutely critical to our faith
Man by nature is perishing. We are alienated from the God who made us. It is also God who seeks us
We are not out there looking for God. He comes to us in our crucial predicament.
It is the crossroads between life and death, between emptiness and fullness, between the power to succeed and going down in defeat.
Do we really believe that the people around us are perishing; that they are dead in their trespasses and sins?
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for our sins. Hebrews 9:22
We are being saved from sin’s power; we have been saved from sin’s penalty, that we are naturally bent on rebellion against God, we are under His judgement, that we are lost in our trespasses and sins and that only because of the crucifixion of Jesus.
Or if we are not careful the message may become like this...
You have tremendous human potential, I want to remind you that you have phenomenal abilities and the exhibition of the cross is not to deal with you sin but to inspire you to rise to the occasion, to become the people you should be.
A message like this doesn’t make you realize that have to face up to the fact that we have broken God’s laws, that we have missed the mark of God’s righteousness, that I am undone and have no hope except by the grace of God.
He was covered in shame in order that we might be covered in glory.
For those of us who believe:
The power of the cross guards me against myself, gives me confidence only in Christ and compels me to go.
Alistair Begg broke it down this way -
The message of the cross provides us with a divine corrective. When we take our eyes off the cross, we start trying to justify ourselves by our own actions as Paul addressed in Galatians 3. I am only justified by what was done for me not what I have done for me. This guards me against pride and Pharisee – like tendencies. It also guards me against shame
It also provides us with divine confidence...When I start pulling out the list and think about where my confidence lies...Does it lie in the fact that I am reading the Bible more now than I did in 1989....
It creates within us a divine compulsion...what gets me ready for the day when I get up. “One died for all” The love of Christ compels me to go to the lonely people. ..to deal with what burdens them, with what ensnares them and brings them to true freedom.
Rescue the perishing
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save. He is mighty to save
Fanny Crosby
Discussion Questions
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘cross’?
What thoughts and feelings come to your mind when you partake of the Lord’s Supper or communion?
Why is forgiveness so hard and yet so important (see Matthew 6:9-15; 18)?
In what practical and tangible ways can we appropriate the power of the cross in our daily lives, especially in living an ‘overcoming life’?
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