Sermon for 4/9/2006
The Math of the Cross
Introduction:
A. Scripture reading from 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
B. I did not do very well in math. It was my worst subject. Thankfully my job doesn’t have much to do with math.
C. A boy age ten was doing miserably in math in public school. His parents had heard that students who attended private schools did much better in math than most students in public schools. This family had no church home and they only attended church every now and again but they decided to send their son to a Catholic school. The math papers he brought home showed dramatic improvement in his math skills. At the end of first grading period, he made an “A” in math. His parents were ecstatic! They couldn’t believe that their son made an “A” in math! They couldn’t figure out what made the difference, so they decided to ask him. The son replied, “The first day in school, I sat down at my desk and at the front of the room I saw a man nailed to a plus sign. I figured they take their math seriously here so I’d better buckle down.”
WBTU:
A. Today is Palm Sunday. WE celebrate Jesus coming into Jerusalem to a Kings celebration. But we also remember how just a few days after the Triumphal Entry, Jesus was betrayed by Judas and brought before the Jewish ruling council. The Jews took Jesus to the Gentile governor Pilate and Pilate allowed Jesus to be crucified on a cross.
B. On Good Friday we remember (don’t really celebrate) how Jesus died on that old rugged cross. Since we will not be here on Good Friday and since the cross is so important (especially after reading our verses), this morning we are going to discuss the cross and what it means to us. To Christ it was terrible but for us it is so sweet.
C. In every age men and women have stood at the foot of the cross and attempted to understand the meaning of what happened there. One leading New Testament scholar recently wrote an article saying that there are at least fourteen different theological perspectives of the cross presented in scripture. It would seem that the cross is so vast in its meaning that one perspective cannot simply exhaust its meaning. So to fully understand it, we must view the cross from many different angles. This morning let’s take the angle of math.
D. We are going to use the most basic of math symbols this morning in our talk.
Thesis: This morning let’s talk about the math of the cross.
For instances:
I. The Cross Subtracts One from Hell (-)
A. Needful- (John 3:36 NIV) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him."
* Went from wrath to peace.
* Tell story of making Crystal mad and bringing home roses.
B. Instantly- (John 5:24 NIV) "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
* Give plan of salvation here. First step is belief but if we truly believe, we will..
C. Completely- (1 John 1:7 NIV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
* Both at the moment of baptism and also all sins thereafter.
D. Eternally- (Rom 6:23 NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
II. The Cross Adds One to Heaven (+) (went from certain death to life)
A. To the family of heaven-
1. (Gal 3:26 NIV) You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (Gal 3:27 NIV) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
2. Baptism adds people to the family. This is true and even more.
3. (Mark 3:33 NIV) “Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. (Mark 3:34 NIV) Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! (Mark 3:35 NIV) Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother."
4. From no family to God’s family
B. To the protection of heaven- (Psa 34:7 NIV) The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
1. What about Stephen and other martyrs?
2. (Acts 7:59 NIV) While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."(Acts 7:60 NIV) Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
C. To the provisions of heaven- (Phil 4:19 NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
D. To the citizenship of heaven- Philippians 3:20: But our citizenship is in heaven.
1. With all of this voting stuff lately, I am thankful that I am a citizen of heaven.
2. (Heb 11:13 NIV) All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. (Heb 11:14 NIV) People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. (Heb 11:15 NIV) If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. (Heb 11:16 NIV) Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
E. To the dwelling of heaven- (John 14:2) In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
III. The Cross Divides One from the World (~)
A. Because of renovation- (2 Cor 5:17 NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
B. Because of habitation- (Col 3:3 NIV) For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Song “In Christ” by Big Daddy Weave
In Christ I can do all things
In Christ I mount up on eagle’s wings
In Christ I wait for a great reward
That I have in store
In Christ I have His righteousness
In Christ I have what I confess
In Christ I don’t worry about all the rest
Cause everything I need to be is in Christ
C. Because of preparation “at Calvary!” (Gal 2:20 NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Through the cross we went from our will to Christ’s will.
D. Because of eternity- (1 John 2:15) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:16) For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.(1 John 2:17) The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
IV. The Cross Multiplies One’s Treasures (X)
A. By relationship with God.
1. Relationship with Jesus Christ, God’s Son-
a. (1 John 5:12 NIV) He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
b. (Eph 2:18 NIV) For through him (Christ) we have access to the Father by one Spirit.
2. Relationship with the Holy Spirit-
a. (1 Cor 3:16 NIV) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
b. (Rom 8:9 NIV) You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
3. Relationship with God the Father-
a. (Heb 12:9 NIV) Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
b. 1 Peter 2:3 says that the Lord is good.
B. By our reward-
1. (Col 3:23 NIV) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, (Col 3:24 NIV) since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
2. (1 Pet 1:4 NIV) an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you.
Conclusion:
V. The Cross Gives Everyone an Equal Chance (=)
A. At the beginning of the 1900’s, Charles Evans Hughes was a prominent figure in Washington and nationally. He was narrowly defeated by Woodrow Wilson for the presidency in 1916, and later he was named chief justice of the Supreme Court. When he came to live in Washington, he became a member of a large church there. On the same day that he came forward to identify himself with the church, two others also came. One was a Chinese student and the other was a washerwoman. The minister might have made quite a thing of Hughes’ becoming a member, but he chose to do otherwise. After he had announced the names of the new members, he said, “Friends, I hope you will notice that at the cross of Christ the ground is level. All are equal.”
B. Everyone who calls- (Rom 10:12 NIV) For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, (Rom 10:13 NIV) for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
B. Everyone who comes- (Rev 22:17 NIV) The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
C. No matter where you are- (Luke 24:46 NIV) He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, (Luke 24:47 NIV) and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
D. No matter what decade it is- (Heb 10:12 NIV) But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
E. No matter how young or old- (Mark 16:15 NIV) He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. (Mark 16:16 NIV) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
