Carry Your Cross

Matt. 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

This Month @ THE CROSS

Place of the Cross is Foolish or Powerful

Cross is a Door

Today – The Way of the Cross (Carry Your Cross)

Looking at the Path that Comes with the Cross

The Life that Must Follow the Cross

The Cross Makes No Sense if there is not a LIFESTYLE that Comes with its’ Encounter

PRAY

Somewhere Along the Line –

The Cross has Become an ICON for Christianity...

It’s Our Trademark if you will...

We probably could claim a few – But the Cross is the One that is Most identified with US.

Identity is a Funny thing is this Culture

We are Usually Careful about Who/What we Identify Ourselves

AND We’re Willing to pay a lot for Identity

Designer Wear... Sports Teams...Racing...

Sports for Example –

Once we’re on w/a Team – Loyal to it – Even when they are losing...

"Fan ever since...Followed them...I remember..."

Yet – With the Cross of JC – It has never had a Losing Track Record...

It is Undefeated...

Yet –

We will Struggle with its Identity – Because it Feels Like a Loss At times in Our lives...

Why is that? What’s that really about?

Are we losing? Are we coming in 2nd at times?

Or is there a Bigger Picture at work?

Scripture

"Take up your cross"

Is found in a couple passages in the gospels

Matt. 16, Mark 8, Mark 10, & Luke 9

What is Jesus teaching?

"Take up"

To take and apply to any use...

"Deny Self"

To affirm one has no acquaintance or connection w/ someone...

To forget one’s self, lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests...

"Follow"

To follow one who precedes, join him, accompany him...

To join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple, to side with his party...

Jesus Teaches us that we Must Become Acquainted with the Instrument of His death for us to FIND OUR OWN LIFE!

Looking for life = Loss of it

Loosing it for his sake = Finding the very thing that we’re looking for!

2 Ironies

1st – The Way of the Cross is The Way of death

The Cross was Never meant to:

Be Pretty &

Symbolize Hurt...Pain...Bruises...

Once a You we’re Associated with the Cross – the End was Clear – DEATH!

We’ve Beautified it –

Into a Symbol of GOLD...Comfort...Polished...Enhancement...

In Today’s Times –

The Cross WOULD Be

Electric Chair...Lethal Injection...Gas Chamber...Firing Squad...Cyanide...

(All after being terribly abused by humanity)

2nd Irony to this (THESE) Passage(s) is it’s (their) Timing

JC had Just now Told them about THE Cross

He had not accepted it yet though...

So –

Even in His Telling them – The Cross was a place of Death INFLICTED UPON YOU!

Sound Like in 2002 –

I must suffer & die...I’ll die from electric shock...Hanging...

If anyone is going to follow me – take up his electric chair...hangman’s noose – & FOLLOW ME!

They had to Struggle with this one!

Peter DID –

NOT SO LORD – Get Behind me satan...

Another Possible Follower did –

Go sell all that you have...Take up your cross & Follow me – He went away sad...

The Cross was Seen By THEM as a GROSS place of DEATH –

Therefore it CUT Against them having to Carry one.

So it Does Today – When YOU see it for what it really is

You Feel its Weight from time to time...

When YOU Want to Do your own thing & KNOW that it’s not right – Cross

When you want to follow your path...

You Sense that it’s There...

Rubs against your Shoulder...Cuts into your will...