How to Build a Cross
"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Mark 8:34 (KJV)
Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Mark 10:38
Intro: One of Jesus’ last stops on his final journey to Jerusalem…, was at a town east of the Jordon River known as Jericho. Large groups of people are traveling by way of the Jericho road to Jerusalem to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage to celebrate the Feast of the Passover.
Our scripture lessons for today from the Gospel of Mark…, give us two important and vivid teaching moments…, about the meanings of the crucifixion and the cross.
The Romans and people in Mark’s original audience…, knew what shouldering the cross meant. To take up the cross meant death on the cross. It was the Romans most common form of execution for dangerous criminals. A person carrying his own cross was a sure sign of surrender to the power and authority of the Romans.
But Jesus used this image of carrying a cross to illustrate the basic self giving and obedience required of all of his followers.
To build and carry a cross like Jesus is not easy. It means living day by day, living moment by moment, choosing to follow where God leads. Not our own self-satisfying actions and not our own self desire of direction.
When we celebrate Holy Communion we are doing more than just remembering the body and blood of Christ. We are saying that we are also able to face the trials…, Able to suffer the persecution, Able to endure the temptations, Able to live a profession of faith. Our life is purposed on the cross.
So today we are going to talk about taking up the cross. How do you build a cross and shoulder that cross in today’s world?
I am convinced that the Cross of Christ is built first upon an understanding of Fellowship.
I. The Cross is built on FELLOWSHIP.
Fellowship is people under construction. Whether it is a men’s group, a women’s group, a youth group, a Sunday school class…it is people coming together to shape lives…, to form a Christian community…, into the image of Christ.
Learn this lesson: Fellowship is never really about numbers.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Jesus was talking about a time when a crowd of strangers would become the body of the church. When people who barely know each other would become brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus knew that when two people agreed upon any one thing, and prayed about it together…, that there is a connection, a strength, a power.
I recently watched the Movie: “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill. “Moneyball” is based on a true life story of the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics baseball team. Billy Bean is the general manager of the Oakland “A.” Compared to the other baseball teams he has a very low budget to spend on hiring players. Every time he recruits a player who develops into a good player, another team offers him more money.
So Billy takes the help of an economic graduate from Yale named Peter. Peter applies a numerical and statistical analysis and picks a winning team based on the statistical averages instead of name recognition or personality qualities. Basically he puts together a baseball team that on paper should win the playoffs.
The problem is the team loses, and loses, and loses. Part of it is the conflict between Billy the team manager and the teams head coach and scouting coaches.
The turnaround in the movie starts when the individuals finally begin to gel into a real team. There is this unity…, this oneness…, with the coaches and the players. There is this “fitting together” and sense of belonging, that each person is where they are supposed to be. That is why in the church you often here me say, you are an important part of this church. “Every Member Matters.”
This common cause…, this bonding of believers…, was a major theme of Jesus teaching. Fellowship is from the Greek word (koinonia). Meaning: individual Christians who are in Christian communion with each other. Christian communion is an intimate, personal bond, formed by faith in the resurrected Christ.
It is strangers who start out thinking they have very little in common. But then the group grows from just being a crowd of people and turns into congregation of mature believers.
How do you build the cross? How do you build the people around you into the image of Christ? The Cross is built on Fellowship.
II. The Cross is built on COMMITMENT.
The congregation is committed to what? What are the core principles of Christian faith?
I am convinced that it not as complex as creeds, and forms of baptism or denominational statements.
The uncompromising teachings of Christianity are easily found in the cross. The cross is centered on love, an unconditional love. The cross is placed in the middle of sacrifice of self for others. The cross is absolute and total forgiveness. Without these few things nothing else we do matters.
Every person needs to find their few. (I did not say find your “pew” I said, every person needs to find their “few.”) There are a few things that really matter and are important.
The problem is that we tend to look at far too many things when it comes to building a cross. People will argue over what type of wood to make it out of. Should we use Pine or Cypress or Cedar? How many nails should we use? O.K. we can agree on three nails, one for each hand and one for the feet, but how long should the nails be? Should we use 5 inch nails or 7 inch nails? And then there were the people who got mad over what color to paint the cross so they just left it natural.
A. One of your few important things must be prayer.
"Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (KJV) Prayer changes everything about me.
B. Are you committed to worship?
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)
C. Are you committed to giving?
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him," 1 Corinthians 16:1-2a (KJV) Did you know there are some 500 references to prayer in the Bible, and there are 2,300 references to money and possessions in the Bible.
Learn this lesson: The value of a gift is not determined by its amount…, but by the sacrifice and spirit in which it is given. Your few might be a “widow’s might.” Your few might be the few people you are praying for, a lost family member, a neighbor who is in trouble. Your few might be the few hours you volunteer to visit an elderly person or a nursing home. Your few might be the one talent that you take and use for the glory of Kingdom of God.
If we will be committed to the few things that we know that are right…, and do them…, then we will have a vital, healthy, spiritual life, and a growing church. We will turn the crowd into members of the Kingdom of God. The members will turned into leaders in the church and community. The Cross is built on Fellowship and Commitment.
III. The Cross is built on SERVANTHOOD.
Where does God want me to serve? When you really want to be like Christ…, you stop thinking about yourself and you start thinking about others. Christ is the perfect example of humility and service. He did not focus on his own needs but he focused on the needs of others.
Jesus said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. I want you to think about the phrase, “take up his cross.” It means: I have to take up “MY” cross.
Let me put this into context: It is difficult for most people to think like a servant. Because we are taught and conditioned to be a the director, the chair, the supervisor. We are told to figure out how to do it better…, then you get the bonus or the promotion.
It is rare to find someone who is a genuine servant.
We are always trying to build newer crosses. Build better crosses. So we go around measuring other people and saying things like, “If you would just cut 6 inches off your cross then you could balance it better on your shoulders.”
Servanthood isn’t about making better crosses for other people. Servanthood is about carrying…, your own…, personal…, cross. It is NOT about judging someone else but managing our own relationships. It is NOT about what someone else is doing but how you respond to the daily temptations and struggles. It is about how you live and the attitudes and character that you have.
Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Mark 10:38 James and John said they were willing to face any trial that Jesus faced. They said that they would endure any suffering, any persecution Jesus would meet.
If you are going to build a cross it is not going to be easy. Make no mistakes about it. There will be some hard chopping with an ax. There will be some loud hammering, and hewing, and nails, and sweat, and tears, and blood.
Living a Christian live is not easy, it is not without cost and it is not without sacrifice. It takes both “My power and God power.” It takes goodness and mercy and forgiveness, all wrapped up in the Good News.
The song “Are ye able” is absolutely a response to these words of Jesus with James and John. Written by Earl Bowman Marlatt (1892-1976) he was the son of a Methodist minister. (He also taught philosophy of religion and religious literature at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University from 1846-1957.)
During this same time period another Methodist by the name of James Mott (1865-1955) wrote a book titled ‘The Evangelization of the World in This Generation.’”
(United Methodist Bishop John Wesley Hardt, former Bishop in Residence at Perkins School of Theology, places the hymn “Are ye Able” in the context of its time along with the book “The Evangelization of the World in This Generation” by James Mott. )
Imagine with me…, dream with me…, I have a vision of a college campus with thousands of teenagers, and someone stands at the front of a youth rally and shouts, “Evangelize the World, In This Generation” And someone from the back shouts, “We are able.”
And again someone from the front says, “Evangelize the World, in This Generation.” And someone over here softly cries, “Are we Able?” And the people shout back “Lord, We are able!” (We need to "spiritualize the audience.) Amen? Let’s all say it together "Lord We are Able."
Beginning in the 1930’s and for the next three decades that song was a rally cry for young Methodist and Evangelicals on college campuses and seminaries and youth revivals around the world. (Then came James Mott’s, The Evangelization of the World in This Generation.)
And someone has to ask, “Are we Able?”
And the people shout back, “LORD, WE ARE ABLE!”
Have you ever dreamed this kind of dream? Do you have this kind of vision? Can we really make a difference in the community that we live? Can we find that spirit again? Are we able?--- (And the whole church responds, “Lord, We are Able!”)
I don’t think it is a coincidence that the Methodist Church grew more in those thirty years than ever before, and that it has continued to decline since the passing of that generation!
We may say that we are willing to do the same thing… James died as a martyr in Acts 12:2. John was forced to live in exile at the prison of Patmos in Revelations 1:9. Are you able to drink the bitter cup of sorrow? Are you able to be a servant with a stranger or someone you may not be similar too?
What does servanthood look like?
It looks like Barbara and Fred, who after Fred’s father died in the nursing home, Barbara and Fred would still go once a week to visit the nursing home. They would read the bible to them. They would bring their dirty clothes home and wash them and take them back. They would sit and help feed the people who did not have anyone else who would come and visit them.
What does servanthood look like?
It looks like Donald and Ruth. Ruth loved to go to yard sales, Donald is a retired pastor. Donald and Ruth go to yard sales and flea markets and buys bargain clothes and toys. They give them to missions and local ministries. Sometimes they take them and give them to families and children who live in poverty.
Learn this Lesson: A real servant isn’t trying to tell someone else what to do with their time or money. A real servant knows that God is the giver and master of everything. God has just entrusted us to be stewards for a very short time.
The question I have to ask is how am I handling the blessings and gifts that God has given me?
"Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth." Romans 14:4a (KJV)
In 1928 Don and Marguerete McCrossman wrote a song titled, "As We Travel Along On The Jericho Road." It was copyrighted in 1933 by the Stamps-Baxter Music Company.
As you travel along on the Jericho Road
does the world seem all wrong and heavy load?
Just bring it to Christ your sins all confess
on the Jericho Road your heart He will bless
On the Jericho Road there’s room for just two
no more and no less, just Jesus and you
each burden He’ll bear, each sorrow he’ll share
there’s never a care for Jesus is there
So, Jesus and his disciples reached Jericho, and he began to teach them, that he would go up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man would be “delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death,” Mark 10:33 (KJV)
Closing: While you may have made a good beginning at building your cross, and good start at carrying your cross toward Jerusalem…, it is far from complete…, it is far from over. It starts out as just strangers…, who meet on the road of life…, and make the decision that they are going to walk together in the fellowship and in the footsteps of Jesus. It is a vow, a promise, a life commitment to worship, magnify the Lord, to exalt his Holy name together. It is a complete giving of yourself so that you can help and benefit someone else. It is fellowship, it is commitment, it is servanthood, that builds the cross that we must take up and carry.
