Glory in the Cross -- 12/21/08

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Glory in the Cross

John 1:1-14………………………… Joe
“God Loves Kids”…………………. Young Ones
Prayer……………… ……………… Ron
Intro / Theme: Glory in the Cross…. Ron
“Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”. Lee
Introducing the Cross (Mt. 16:24)…..Rob
“Down from His Glory”…………….Lee & Michelle
Cross: Gal. 6:14…………………….Fred & Barbara
“Joy to the World” (117)…………...Jim
Cross: Luke 2:34-35………………..Joe & Alisa
“Angels We Have Heard on High” (136)..Jim
Read: Luke 2:1-14…………………... Barb
Cross: Matt. 10:32-34………………. Allan & Monette
“Go Tell It on the Mountain”……….. Rita, Rachel, Kathy
Cross: Matt. 16:13-26………………. Justin & Rachel
“Blessed Redeemer” (149)………….. Lee
Offering (No Children’s Church)
“He Paid a Debt”……………………. Young Ones
Cross: I Cor. 2:2……………………. John & John
“Jesus Paid It All” (146)……………..Norman
“Jesus Is the Sweetest Name I Know”.Norman
Justin & Alex…
… O Come Let Us Adore Him /
For He Alone Is Worthy /
We Give Him All the Glory
… He Is Lord
… Thou Art Worthy
Cross: Gal. 6:14 …..…………………Brian & Lynn
Brief Message: “Glory in the Cross”.. Ron
Benediction: “Lord, We Lift Your Name on High”

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Rob brings the cross in and sets it in a prominent place. He quotes Matt. 16:24 and continues to support the cross. Throughout the service, the cross will remain there. Various people will take turns holding it up, two at a time. Two people will come up together. One of them will stop at the microphone and recite a verse. Then they will take over the supporting of the cross. When Ron delivers the brief message, he will continue to hold the cross.

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Paul says in I Cor. 1:31, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” Our joy, praise, glorying, and boasting is to be in the Lord Jesus Christ. How can it be otherwise for the true child of God? “We are not our own; we are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor. 6:20). But Paul becomes even more specific than that. Two verses later he says, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (I Cor. 2:2). And finally, “But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).

Let me suggest three reasons why we have sustained such a singular focus this morning upon glorying in the cross…

1. Because It Is Biblical

Praise God that He sent His Son to be born as a babe in Bethlehem, but we are to glory in the cross. The incarnation is wonderful, but it finds its meaning in the cross and resurrection. The cross is glorious, for it is the end. Though Jesus was born into this world, He was sent by the Father to die. We rejoice in the incarnation, but our rejoicing will always be incomplete until we glory in the cross. An incarnation that doesn’t rush to the cross is an insult to the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

2. Because Its Truth is Veiled in This Present World

Don’t expect the world to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It will never happen, because the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them who are perishing. Christ crucified is a stumblingblock to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, but to us who are called it is the power of God and the wisdom of God. When we glory in the cross, we identify with Him who died on the cross and distinguish ourselves from the the world which is offended by that cross

3. Because of the Increased Deception in Our Present Society

Nothing confuses the issue of who Jesus really is like Christmas in this country. It is the time when Jesus is mentioned the most, but when He is revered the least. No matter how we may try to redeem Christmas in our society, the Jesus of the American Christmas is not the Jesus who died on the cross. In general, the American Christmas is the twisting of the incarnation and a denial of the cross. We emphasize glorying in the cross this morning because you won’t find that emphasis in the world, including most of the religious world. As a matter of fact, you will generally find just the opposite.

I am aware that my words are rather few, blunt, and to the point this morning. But if Jesus threw the moneychangers out of the temple and accused them of making His Father’s house a house of merchandise in His day, what would He say, if He walked among us today? Am I saying it is wrong to celebrate Christmas? No. Am I saying it is right to celebrate Christmas? No. I’ll let you decide that. But there are some questions I must put before us this morning. Does your celebration glory in the cross? This past week, have you been glorying in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ? Paul said, “But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). That is the Christian attitude for all seasons. And that glorying in the cross yields more love, joy, and peace than all the festivities of a lifetime.

Praise God for the incarnation, that God became man. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (I John 3:16). That was the beginning of the execution of God’s plan, but it was only the beginning. How did the sending of His Son rescue those who were bound for destruction and hell? 1 John 4:9-10, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

God becoming man in Jesus has no meaning until we come to the cross. It was at the cross that Jesus became the propitiation for our sins. It was there, as He took our sins upon Himself, that He turned away God’s wrath from us by receiving the full weight of that wrath. God’s punishment came to rest upon His Son Jesus.

Do you see why the manger is always incomplete and even deceptive, if there isn’t a cross rising out of it? Jesus apart from His crucifixion and resurrection has no value. But praise God He can never be separated from the cross and the empty tomb. The real Jesus is the One who really died and rose and ascended back to heaven and is coming again for His own. Praise God!

The world celebrates Christmas every year. Listen to me. Whenever we glory in the cross, we are rejoicing in the incarnation in a way that the world can never celebrate the birth of Christ, and the time of year has nothing to do with it. We glory in the cross every day, and by doing so we praise God that He became man in Christ.

You may ask, “So how do we glory in the cross?” I’m not sure I have all the answers to that question, but it begins with rejoicing that we have been crucified with Christ, that we are not our own. We have been spoiled to the world, and we praise God for that truth. We are not of this world, but our citizenship is in heaven. We died with Christ and our life is hid with Christ in God. These are the truths that bring us joy and peace.

If all of this glorying in the cross is foreign to you, I suggest that it is likely because the cross has not done its work in you; you are dead in your trespasses and sins, without hope in this world or the next. After the service, one of us would love to talk with you about what Jesus did on that cross.