At the Cross
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1:1-4 (KJV)
Could we do something unusually this morning? Let us bow our heads and I want us to place our hands on over our hearts this morning, simply lay hands on yourself and let us pray this prayer together…
Heavenly Father, Reveal yourself to us this morning, reveal your will in our lives, and change in us those things that need changed for our good and your Glory, open your word to us today…Amen.
You may be seated, but don’t get comfortable because I think God is just about to break this thing open this morning. Amen?
Today we are going to talk about the most basic of topics…the Cross of Christ. I want you to understand this morning that when I say the Cross, I am not talking about the physical expression of wood beams and nails, for many thousands of people have been crucified as a way of death since the beginning of time.
As a matter of fact, the actual cross of Christ was probably used to execute people long before Christ ever hung on it and it probably was used as a means of end for more people after Christ was crucified on it. We do not worship the physical cross, we worship the One , God’s Son, who died upon it to give us freedom from our sins. Are we on this same page this morning?
Sometimes I think I am guilty, as well as multitudes of other preachers like me, of getting to far away from the Cross in my sermons. I think sometimes we try to go so deep, be so intellectual in our study of the Word that we can forget, or become callous to the basic thought that Jesus died upon the Cross to give me eternal life, to save me from everlasting Hell, and to give me victory in all of my battles.
The more I study, the deeper I look, the obvious fact of the matter becomes even more apparent…This book, this church, my life, your life, it all starts from and leads back to what Jesus accomplished on the Cross.
I am in a position that comes with a title. I have been called Mr. I have been called Rev. I have been called Pastor, and even made it through the process to be called a bishop, but I want you to understand this one thing…If you cannot call me saved, my God help me this morning, if you cannot call me a disciple of Christ, washed in the blood, filled with the Spirit, then I am nothing. Hallelujah! If I don’t realize and take part in what happened at the Cross, I am nothing.
What did I gain at the Cross of Christ…
Forgiveness
Regeneration
Sanctification
Holiness
Spirit Baptism
Anointing
Peace
Healing
Reconcilliation
Victory
Provision
Prosperity or Favor
Power…
I have gained new life, I have gained a new family, I have a new way of living, I have a new life divine.
For centuries men have tried to reason out and figure out and talk it out, who is this man we call Jesus is. There are currently in the national database of published works over 60,000 books, aside from the Bible, that have been written about Jesus Christ.
Peter says that when we figure out who He is; we will receive grace and peace. You know how he knew that: experience. Peter knew Jesus the man, Peter loved Jesus the man, Peter walked with him and talked with him and saw him do the miraculous, but it wasn’t until Peter meet Jesus the Resurrected Savior, that he truly knew who Jesus was.
Peter is saying to us in our opening text this morning…
I knew who He was…but I didn’t really know what he could do. The peace, the forgiveness, the restoration, that He could bring…until I was in a position that demanded forgiveness.
Before Peter denied Christ he knew Jesus the man, after his restoration, Peter knew Jesus the righteous king.
Every believer as some time in their spiritual experience needs to have that moment in which they realize that Jesus is more than just a velvet painting in grandma’s living room that He is more than just a person they talk about in church. Every believer must come to the realize that Jesus was more than just mere flesh and blood but that He was a King, a righteous King, The King of Glory.
David, who we love to recite his psalms, he had some friends who just couldn’t wrap their mind around how in all his troubles, David could still praise, he could still worship.
In Psalm 24 David answers his friends like this, and I want you to hear was David was saying…
Psalm 24 says starting in verse 7
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.
Come on church I wish somebody could just start praising the King of Glory right now…
He is our King…and kings have kingdoms. What is Jesus king over you might ask…well, I am glad you asked.
The BIBLE says that
He is the King of the Jews
He is the King of Israel
He is the King of Rightousness
He is the King of this generation and every generation
He is the King of the Ages
The Bible says…
He is the King of Heaven, who will sit on His throne in the New Earth, the New Jerusalem and rule for a thousand years.
He is the King of Glory
He is the King of Kings
And He is the Lord of Lords
David says
The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork
There is no limit to his love
The is no shortage to his supply
Nothing can stop this King’s blessing
He is the strongest of the strong
He is the King of the Truth, a man of his word
He gives grace abundantly
He shows mercy without favor
His hands bear the scars of a immeasurable sins, though he committed none Himself
Who is this King of Glory David asked...?
He has always been
He had no predecessor, and He’ll have no successor
There was no one before Him, and there will be no one after Him
You can’t impeach Him, and He will not resign
You can’t bring King Jesus any problem to big for Him to handle, or to small for Him to care.
He is righteousness.
He is deliverance.
He is salvation.
He is Healer.
He is the Great Physician.
He is the Intercessor, sitting at the right hand of the Father, covering us with His blood.
He is the lover of our souls.
If you don’t know Him, I have got good news; He wants to meet you!
We are about to receive communion…do you know that Jesus wants to see us face to face this morning in our time of communion.
I like the word FACE.
Fellowship-Among brothers and sisters and with Christ
Appetite-For the things of the kingdom.
Cleansing-Making ourselves ready
Expectation- For Him to do something in our lives
(Communion)
