Yesterday was another amazing day! Last night was all about the cross! A 28 foot cross was placed right in front of the platform! Dr. Warrick preached about the cross! He quoted John Fischer, “The church ... has become increasingly accustomed to Christianity without a cross - or, at best, with one hanging harmlessly in the background. In our eagerness to popularize Christianity, we have created a very user-friendly gospel that asks for hardly a sacrifice. We have forgotten that in the middle of this gospel stands a cross - an instrument of (death) execution, the splinters of which are largely ignored by a contemporary Christian world eager to tell mostly the good part of the story.”
Jesus said,“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matt. 16:24 He said also, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:35 The true victory of a Christian is found in the death of oneself on the cross! Everyone needs to make a journey to Calvary, not to take a look at a memorial or museum, but a joining to die on the cross with Christ! This journey is not easy and it will cost you something, actually it will cost your everything!
When I came to the service last night, I was wondering why they put such a large cross in front of the stage and the pulpit! I thought to myself, “this should be on the back of the stage”. But I was wrong! The cross should always be front and center. We should never lose sight of the death of Christ, so that His life can live within us. The daily death experience is so important that we need the CROSS to intrude upon us, annoy us at times, get in our way, so that we cannot ignore it or minimize it! Paul said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor. 1:17-18
Have you died to yourself? Is Christ living within you?
