Power Of The Cross

POWER OF THE CROSS

1 Cor. 1:18

I. 10 Yrs. PASTORING, 16 Yrs. PREACHING,

23 Yrs. SAVED & COUNTING

A. Always Inadequate Preaching about the Cross

1. Great Sermons, messages

2. But yet not quite satisfied

B. Been preached millions of Times

1. Still Love to Hear It

2. Story of Calvary

a. Betrayed, sold Forsaken b. Accused

c. Tried by both Jews & Romans

d. Condemned yet No Guilt

e. Scourged, Beaten, Mocked f. Carries Cross, collapses

g. Nailed, Bears Our sin

h. Prays, Saves thief, Mom & Disciple, Forsaken by God

(Darkness) Thirst, Finished, Spirit Given

C. Central Act of God’s Redeeming Grace

1. Importance of the Cross

2. Blood Shed, God’s Sacrifice,

3. God’s love unquestionably manifested to World,

II. FOOLISHNESS TO (LOST) PERISHING

A. Same Old Story, *Truth, Love & Salvation doesn’t

go out of style*

1. Old News is Good news

B. Unbelief - Key for Perishing

C. Devil’s Attack of Christ (Divinity, Power,

Sinlessness)

1. Diminishes Cross! & Vise Versa

D. To Believe in the Cross is to

1. Confess Sin 2. Repent/ forsaking of Sin

**P. Harvey Harry Bane of Lake Oswego Ore. finally took

advise from friends to start jogging but he soon stopped. He said had to

he said because the wind kept blowing out his cigarettes.

3. Make No Excuses, Blaming Parents, Race, society,

Education, Culture, Friends

4. See that the Cross reveals God’s Standard,

5. Admit Sin must be Dealt with and its awfulness,

6. Submit to God’s Sovereignty, & Love

E. They Perish

III. POWER OF GOD

A. Cross is the Expression & Revelation & Doorway to

God’s Power

B. Forgiveness through the Cross

C. Show Power of His Love, Mercy, Grace

D. Lives Changed:

**Norma Todd Australian woman who had known nothing but hate & violence

all of her life. When a Policeman appeared at her door one day to tell her about Christ,

she tried to beat him up, attacking him. An alcoholic & prostitute. She had no earthly

reason to believe in a God of love. Yet that God was relentless. Till she gave her heart

& life to Him. C. Colson “God of Stones & Spiders” p122

**Jerry Levine called himself a atheist when he was first kidnapped by Moslem

extremist in 1984. Perhaps he was simply a agnostic. Jerry spent day & night

blindfolded & chained to a radiator, his thoughts turned increasingly to the one whose

existence he doubted. He figured he would go crazy or talk to God. 10 days after

beginning to meditate he suddenly went from not believing to believing. Jerry Lavine

came to a faith in God then later to faith in Jesus, without a bible of evangelist, an

invitation or a tract. Simply the Holy Spirit of God Called, Reminding of the cross &

revealing himself to him. C. Colson “The God of Stones and Spiders” p122-123

**Black Preacher Friend of B. Smith Parents dead by whites. Bro.

killed by KKK, wanted Grandma to poison white people. “The Lord wants me to

worry about what I do not what those white people do. Today say saw me live like

Jesus told me to live.