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A Journey to the Cross: The Cross


A Journey to the Cross - Part 4 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

Christ on the Cross IS…
COSTLY
-looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the CROSS, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
-And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a CROSS. (Philippians 2:8)
-It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the CROSS of Christ. (Galatians 6:12)

OFFENSIVE

-But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the CROSS has been removed. (Galatians 5:11)

DEBT-CANCELING
-And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the CROSS. (Colossians 2:13-14)

POWERFUL
-[17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the CROSS of Christ be emptied of its power. [18] For the word of the CROSS is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)

PEACE-MAKING
-For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the CROSS of Christ. [19] Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:18-21)
-and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his CROSS. (Colossians 1:20)
-and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the CROSS, thereby killing the hostility. (Ephesians 2:16)

LIFE-CHANGING
-But far be it from me to boast except in the CROSS of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)
-He himself bore our sins in his body on the TREE, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. [25] For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25)

A Journey to the Cross: The Word


A Journey to the Cross Part 3 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
A Journey to the Cross: The Word - Source, Substance, Solution
http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

Christ is the Source
- (v.1) In the beginning was the Word
- (v.2) He was in the beginning with God
- (v.3) All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made

Christ is the Substance
-(v.1) the Word was with God and the Word was God
-He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3)

Christ is the Solution
-(v.4-5) In him was life, & the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness & the darkness has not overcome it.
-(v.14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth

We Point to the source
-(v.7) He (John the Baptist) came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light

We Reflect the substance
-(John 5:35) He (John the Baptist) He was a burning & shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

We Show the solution.
-(v.16) from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
-(Matthew 5:16) In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

A Journey to the Cross: The Gospel


A Journey to the Cross - Part 2 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

A Journey to the Cross: The Worst News & The Greatest News!

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)

THE WAGES OF SIN: SLAVES OF SIN – FREE FROM GOD
•for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
•as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’ (Rom 3:10-12)

IS DEATH:
•Then he will say …Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)
•And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:43)

BUT!!

THE FREE GIFT OF GOD:
•And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness (Romans 4:5)
•For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

IS ETERNAL LIFE: FREE FROM SIN – SLAVES OF GOD
•But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:22)
•and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15)
•so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7)

IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD:
•if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9-10)
•Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
•there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

The Suicide Deception

“Suicide is the final expression of control over one’s own life.  The deception is the belief that death is the solution, the escape or the end of everything.”

From Dr. Neil T. Anderson's, Discipleship Counseling, page 323

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)

Bitterness vs. Forgiveness

“Bitterness is to the soul as cancer is to the body.” (268)

“We forgive in order to heal. . . . Forgiveness is a hard choice that includes (1) allowing God to surface the name of every offending person with their painful memories, (2) agreeing to live with the consequences of the other person’s sin without seeking revenge, and (3) letting God deal with the offending person in His way and His time.” (266)


From Dr. Neil T. Anderson's Discipleship Counseling

"[26 ] Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27 ] and give no opportunity to the devil. . . .  [31 ] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32 ] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."  (Ephesians 4:26-32 ESV)

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