Key Passages: – Philippians 1 and 3, Matthew 7:13 – 14
Introduction
The cross. What a painful way to die. What a shameful way to go. What an embarrassing exit. What a hard way for the son of God to leave. However, He didn’t do all of that just because he liked hard things, He went through it all because that was what was required. Our sin was deserving of death, our acts was deserving of a really slow death at that, and that was what he went through. He did all that was required for you and I to enter into a living relationship with God and then committed the same task to us who will believe.
Paradigm shift
The work of discipleship isn’t an easy street. The followership of Christ isn’t a chilling life. It is rigorous and requires total attention. For the sake of the cross, Paul went to Prison, was stoned and left for dead, was beaten with many stripes, was ship wrecked and much more, but all this never stopped him from sharing the ultimate sacrifice that happened on the cross.
The cross isn’t about something I wear on my neck to identify with a religion. The cross isn’t about me, myself and I. The cross came to crucify all of that, that I might come into a living relationship with God.
The cross didn’t come to magnify rules and regulation. The cross didn’t come to lift up laws and commands. The cross didn’t come to exalt 7 steps to success and 21 rules of prayer. The cross came to lead us into a spacious and full life in Christ.
The cross isn’t a call to laziness. The cross is a call to responsibility. The cross isn’t a call to I am saved. The cross is a call to how many people have I led to the Cross. The cross isn’t where I pick self up. The cross is where I crucify self. The cross isn’t where I exalt credentials. The cross is where I bury it. The cross isn’t where I present my plan. The cross is where I tear it up.
The cross isn’t a call to easy. The cross is a call to obedience. Obedience to knowing that in this journey, there will be real, tough and hard times but they are all platforms for Christ to find expression.
The cross saved me from death. Who have I led to the cross? Who am I leading to the cross?
What will Jesus Do?
Jesus will use the cruelty of the cross to reconcile the world to Him. Jesus will use the wickedness of Men to show them God’s righteousness. Jesus will exalt the Father’s desire about anything He wants. Jesus will focus 1000% on the responsibility assigned him by the Father, He won’t be distracted by all that is in the world.
Commitments and Prayers
Lord I receive your grace to be fully and totally committed to your call. I choose not to take other paths, I choose to stick with God today and forever. I choose to lead a life that draws men to the light of the truth not push them away.