NORTH YORK CHURCH OF CHRIST

Pastor Roger C. Marcos
April 14, 2019

Delivered at North York Church of Christ

For the past three consecutive Sunday’s messages regarding the cross of Christ. I believe with all my heart that you truly understand the message of the cross. DID YOU HEAR ME CHURCH? We have only one life to prepare to ETERNITY...so your choices today will tell our future eternity.

Part-1 WHAT DOES THE CROSS DECLARED?

A. The Man’s Guilt. B. Man’s Become “Hopelessness” without Divine Grace. And C. God Offer Gracious of Salvation..

Part-2 A. God‘s Love For Us. B. The Necessity of Man’s Obedience. And C. The Basis of Our Hope.

Last Sunday: THE CROSS PROVES MUCH! --18 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. 1:18

What Does the Cross of Christ Prove to You? The Cross Proves

1. The Manifestation of God’s Love.
2. The Lord is Being Patient To Us.

1 Cor. 1:18-24

To the people of Corinth, the preaching of the cross was foolishness, nonsense, no effect. Even today, the cross of Jesus Christ continues to stand as a controversial symbol of Christianity. Some even within the Christian community reject the crucifixion and the resurrection that Christians preach as the focal point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

For Christians, Christ's death justifies all those who believe in him and symbolizes the extent of the love of God.

What Does the Cross Reveals?

1. The Cross Reveal Foolishness to the Unsaved. In the day of the Pentecost, Peter the disciple of Jesus delivered the message to the unsaved people. In your own point of view what Peter intention WHAT DO YOU THINK was to reveal the truth about God and the truth about man’s future after life on earth!

Acts 2:36 therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has MADE THIS JESUS , WHOM YOU CRICIFIED, BOTH LORD AND CHRIST. ³⁷ Now when they heard this, “THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART, AND SAID TO PETER AND THE REST OF THE APOSTLES “Men and Brethren, WHAT SHALL WE DO? That’s the attitude of the unsaved people that time- they want clarity upon reaching in their very hearts the sermon of Peter.

NOW: Still, many do not understand the heavy burden of sins that were crucified on the cross through Christ's sacrifice. "Until we understand the enormity of sin, do we appreciate the forgiveness of God."

This Gospel of Christ and Him crucified is still foolishness to millions who are perishing all over the world today," noted Graham. "How few people recognize that the answer to all the world's problems can be found at the foot of the cross."

While foolishness to many, the cross, throughout the last 2,000 years, has transformed millions of people. Graham alone has changed the lives of millions around the world with the same message - the reality of mankind's sins and the redeeming power of the cross

1 Cor. 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, BUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, not the wisdom of the words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

Do Saved People Consider the Message of the Cross to Be Foolishness? 18 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. 1:18

²² For Jews request a sign, and Greeks SEEK after WISDOM ²³ but we preach Christ crucified to the Jews stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. ²⁴ but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks, Christ “THE POWER OF GOD, AND THE WISDOM OF GOD. 1 Cor. 1:22-24

²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.

No matter how beautiful a sunset may be, a blind person cannot see it. No matter how colorful a flowers may be, a blind person cannot see it. No matter how great the world might be, a blind person cannot appreciate it.

Those that are unsaved do not appreciate the Cross. They are Spiritually blind.

What does 1 Corinthians 2:14 tell us about the natural (unsaved) man? BUT THE NATURAL MAN DOES NOT RECEIVE THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned

The unsaved considers the message of the cross to be foolishness. He does not see the value and importance of the cross. He does not see the beauty and glory of the cross.

Is the Cross Important To You? Why? Are you thankful for the work that was done on the Cross? What exactly are you thankful for? Do you see beauty and value in the Cross? As you think about the cross, do you see the power of God and the wisdom of God (see 1 Cor. 1:18, 24)?

Only the Spirit of God can open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind. If you are saved, was there a time in your life when you did not understand the cross and could not see its value and importance? "Once I was blind but now I can see!" Are these words true of you? Has the Holy Spirit opened your eyes so that you can see and understand the cross of Christ and so that you can appreciate what the Saviour did for you when He died?

2. The Cross Reveal The Heart Of Gospel Message. Yes, without the Cross we remain ignorance, and foolish thank.. ..be to God that on the cross revealed the true message of salvation. Being set free, being a friend of God, a chosen people, and to live for God till eternity.

Paul determined to know (and make known) only one thing among the Corinthians: "For I determined not to know anything among you save (except) Jesus Christ and Him crucified 1 Corinthians 2:2

Christ’s death for us on the cross is at the very heart of the Gospel message.

1 Corinthians15:1-4 Moreover brethren, I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand. ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received; that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

If we were to take away the cross, then we would have no good news for the unsaved person. There would be no message of hope. There would be no way for the sinner to get to God. There would be no way to have our sins forgiven. There would be no way to get to heaven. Preachers would no message of good news to preach, and there would be no good news to put in gospel tracts.

Think about those who have witnessed to you and have told you about the Lord Jesus Christ. Did they tell you anything about the cross? Was this an important part of their message? Did they share with you anything about the death of Christ and what this death means? We want to make sure that we understand the message of the cross so that we can share it with others.

John 12:32 And I, If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.-³³ This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, EVEN SO MUST THE SON OF MAN BE LIFTED UP. That whoever BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, Jn. 3:14-15