"THE CROSS IN CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE." [MATT 16:24].

TEXT: IF ANY MAN WILL COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOW ME! (MATT 16:24).
THE CROSS IS THE CENTER POINT, THE THEME OF ANY BIBLICAL MESSAGE. ALL PREACHING, WHETHER EVANGELISTIC, OR EDIFYING, MUST, MUST REVOLVE AROUND THE CROSS OF CALVARY. NO OTHER SUBJECT IS SO CALCULATED TO BE THE TOUCHSTONE OF HUMAN CHARACTER AS IS THE CROSS.  LUTHERAN MINISTERS HAVE ALWAYS, ADVISED "PREACH THE CROSS," AND GOD WILL BLESS YOUR MINISTRY. ALL OTHER DOCTRINES SUBORDINATE THEMSELVES TO THE CROSS.
 THE CROSS WAS, TRANSFORMED BY CHRIST FROM A SYMBOL OF SHAME, IGNORANCE, AND CRUELTY, TO A SYMBOL OF BEAUTY, LOVE AND WORSHIP. IT IS AT THE HEART OF SYMBOLISM OF THE CHRISTIAN LITURGY AN EXAMINATION OF THE TEACHING OF JESUS, PREACHING OF THE APOSTLES, AND OF THE APPEAL OF THE EPISTLES REVEALS THAT ECLIPSING TOPIC IS THE CROSS. AND ITS REDEEMING SACRIFICE. BY THE CROSS OUR GUILT IS WASHED AWAY, CONDEMNED CONSCIENCES ARE JUSTIFIED, HUMAN NATURE IS RENEWED, HABITS ARE BROKEN. AND HEARTS ARE HEALED.
 WE ARE TAUGHT BY ST. PAUL THAT THE CROSS IS TO BE THE SOURCE OF ALL BLESSING.THIS MAY BE ILLUSTRATED BY HIS REFERENCE TO THE CROSS IN THE GALATIAN EPISTLE WHERE EVERY CHAPTER PRESENTS THIS THEME. IN 1:4 HE SAID, " WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS, THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER US FROM THE PRESENT EVIL WORLD; (AGE). IN 2:20 HE SAID, " I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: NEVERTHELESS I LIVE; YET NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME: AND NOW THE LIFE I LIVE IN THE FLESH,  I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME, AND WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. 
WE ARE TAUGHT BY ST.PAUL THAT THE CROSS IS TO BE THE SOURCE OF ALL BLESSING. " CHRIST HAS REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, BEING MADE A CURSE FOR US; FOR IT IS WRITTEN, CURSED IS EVRYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE.." 4:4,5, GOD HAS SENT FORTH HIS SON, MADE OF WOMEN, MADE UNDER THE LAW, THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE ADOPTION OF SONS; IN CHAPTER 5:11 HE SAID:IF I YET PREACH CIRCUMCISION, WHY DO I YET SUFFER PERSECUTION?  THEN IS THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS CEASED; IN 6:14 HE SAID, " BUT GOD FORBID I SHOULD GLORY SAVE IN THE CROSS. OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. TIME HAS SHOWN THAT EVERY RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT LEAVING OUT THE CROSS ENDS IN IMPOTENCE. THERE IS NO LIFE IN A REDEMPTON-LESS CHRISTIANITY. THERE NEVER WAS A GREAT CHRISTIAN CONVERSION, WITHOUT A SOUL KNEELING AT THE CROSS IN CONTRITION, CONFESSION AND FAITH. THE GRAND NEED FOR THE WORLD TODAY IS THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS., BOTH AS DOCTRINE AND AS LIFE. THAT'S WHY ST. PAUL SAID, " OUR REDEMPTION BY CHRIST WAS THROUGH THE CROSS.  WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED, UNTO THE JEWS A STUMBLING BLOCK, UNTO THE GREEKS, FOOLISHNESS; BUT UNTO THEM WHO ARE CALLED BOTH JEWS AND GREEKS, CHRIST IS THE POWER OF GOD, AND WISDOM OF GOD. JOHN BUNYAN, IN HIS POEM:
 "PILGRIM'S PROGRESS," PILGRIM, HAVING RESPONDED TO THE PREACHING OF AN EVANGELIST'S MESSAGE. BEGAN HIS JOURNEY OUT OF THE CITY OF DESTRUCTION, BY THE SLOUGH OF DESPOND, UNDER THE DANGERS OF THE HILL OF MORALITY, UNTIL HE FINALLY ENTERED THE WICKET GATE.  AND BEGAN THE ASCENT TOWARD THE CROSS. ALL THIS TIME, THE BURDEN WAS STRAPPED TO HIS BACK GREW HEAVIER AND HEAVIER AND HE FOUND NO MEANS OF RELIEF. BUT, AS HE CAME BY THE CROSS, HIS BURDEN BECAME LIGHTER, AND HE INCREASED HIS SPEED OF HIS APPROACH TILL HE CAME TO THE FOOT OF THE CROSS AND KNELT, WHEN HIS BURDEN ROLLED FROM HIS BACK AND CONTINUED DOWN THE HILL UNTILL IT ENTERENED AN OPEN SEPULCHRE AND WAS SEEN NO MORE.  THIS EXPERIENCE IS EXPRESSED IN THE MUCH LOVED HYMN.
 THE EMPHASIS UPON THE CROSS, IS MEANT AS A MEANS OF SALVATION BY JESUS. THE TEACHING OF JESUS OF THE CROSS AS AN INEVITABLE FACT, THE MEANING OF WHICH WAS INTERPRETED IN LIGHT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE, WHICH PROVIDED THE CONTENT OF THE APOSTOLIC GOSPEL. THE REFERENCES OF JESUS TO THE EXPECTATION OF THE CRUCIFIXION ARE NUMEROUS IN THE GOSPELS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS TEXT. HE SAID, " HE MUST GO TO JERUSALEM AND SUFFER MANY THINGS OF THE ELDERS AND CHIEF PRIESTS AND SCRIBES, AND BE KILLED, AND BE RAISED AGAIN THE THIRD DAY.
AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, THE LORD JESUS INTERPRETED THE MEANING OF THE CROSS FOR HIS DISCIPLES. ON THE ROAD TO EMMANUS HE REASONED WITH HIS PERPLEXED DISCIPLES, SAYING, " O FOOLS, AND SLOW OF HEART TO BELIEVE ALL  THAT THE PROPHETS HAVE SPOKEN : OUGHT NOT CHRIST TO HAVE SUFFERED THESE THINGS, AND TO ENTER INTO HIS GLORY?  AND BEGINNING WITH MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS, JESUS EXPLAINED THAT IN THE SCRIPTURES THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF." LATER WHEN HE APPEARED TO HIS DISCIPLES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, HE OPENED THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCRIPTURES BY SAYING, " THUS IT IS WRITTEN THAT CHRIST WAS TO SUFFER, AND RISE FROM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY: AND THAT REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SIN SHOULD BE PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS IN HIS NAME. LUKE 24-25). THE MEANING OF THE INCARNATION, THE LIFE AND DEATH, THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST WAS PLAILY SPOKEN BY CHRIST HIMSELF.  THE SHEPHERD SAYS :ONLY THROUGH ME DO YOU GET TO GO THROUGH THE GATE, INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
SO, HERE IS THE GREAT ALTRNATIVE WHICH CONFRONTS EVERY CHRISTIAN. TO BE HALF HEARTED- COMPLACENT, ONLY CASUALLY INTERESTED IN THE THINGS OF GOD, IS TO PROVE ONESELF NOT A CHRISTIAN AT ALL AND TO BE DISTASTEFUL TO CHRIST AS TO BE IN DANGER OF REJECTION BY THE LORD. BUT TO BE WHOLE-HEARTED IN ONE'S DEVOTION TO CHRIST, IS TO BE GIVEN THE PRIVILEGE BOTH OF SUPPING WITH HIM ON EARTH AND  OF REIGNING WITH HIM IN HEAVEN. HERE IS A CHOICE. WE MUST THROW OPEN THE DOOR TO HIM OR KEEP IT CLOSED IN HIS FACE. THIS THEN IS CHRIST'S VIEW OF US- OF THE NOMINAL CHRISTIAN. MORALLY AND SPIRITUAL SUCH A PERSON IS A NAKED, BLIND BEGGAR. HE IS A BEGGAR BECAUSE HE HAS NOTHING WITH WHICH TO PURCHASE HIS FORGIVENESS OR AN ENTRY INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. HE HAS NO CLOTHES TO FIT HIM TO STAND BEFORE GOD. HE IS BLIND BECAUSE HE HAS NO IDEA EITHER OF HIS SPIRITUAL POVERTY OR OF HIS SPIRTUAL DANGER. IN THE OLDEN DAYS, THE SPIRIT SPOKE THROUGH THE PROPHETS AND NOW THROUGH THE APOSTLES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
IF WE LET CHRIST ENTER THE HOUSE OF OUR HEART. HE WILL LET US ENTER THE HOUSE OF HIS FATHER. FURTHER, IF WE ALLOW CHRIST TO SIT WITH US AT OUR TABLE, HE WILL ALLOW US TO SIT WITH HIM ON HIS THRONE. ( REV. 4:2).