The 4 Points: #3: Christ Died For Our Sins: Story: The Mesage Of The Cross. Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

• The cross to the world – “a message.” (vs 18&24)

• The cross to the Jews = “stumbling-block” (vs 23b)

• The cross to the Greeks = “foolishness” (vs 23c)

• The cross to believers = “the power & wisdom of God” (vs 24)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• In 2014, a metal detectorist named Derek McLennan,

• Was detecting in Scotland,

• When he discovered a rusty old cross.

• In the ground it was worthless, a piece of metal slowly detreating.

• It has been named the Galloway Cross,

• And it is part of an exhibition called the Galloway Hoard.

• It is perhaps the most significant treasure from the Viking Age.

• The silver cross & spiral chain are over 1,000 years old.

• In each of the four arms of the cross are four symbols,

• These symbols represent of the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels,

• Saint Matthew (bottom – haloed figure)

• Saint Mark (right – the winged Lion)

• Saint Luke (left – winged ox)

• Saint John (top – eagle).

• TRANITION:

• The Galloway Cross is a historical thing of beauty and significance.

• It is something to be looked at and studied and admired – but that is all!

Ill:

• In the city of Coventry where I lived before moving down South.

• Has a number of claims to fame.

• Perhaps it is best known for its two cathedrals.

• The old one which on the night of 14th November 1940;

• Was bombed, destroyed and left as ruins by the German Luftwaffe.

• And a new one designed by Basil Spence was built alongside it.

• Finished on 25 May 1962, to replace the one that had been destroyed.

• Just as the new cathedral was being finished.

• A cross was lowered by helicopter and placed on top of it.

• It was and still is a symbol for all to see.

• And you can still look out over the city skyline,

• You see the three spires of Coventry and the symbol of the cross.

• To the first Christians the dross was not a symbol but…

(1). The cross to the world – “a message

(vs 18 & 24).”

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

“but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

• We live in a world that struggles to understand the cross:

• To lots of people the cross is a historical sign.

• Or an ornament, or a piece of beautiful jewellery,

• People who have no interest whatever in Christianity or Christian things will were a cross,

• To many people the cross is a symbol:

• The great symbol of Christianity,

• But to the early Christians:

• The cross certainly was not an ornament,

• Nor was it a symbol, of Christianity, it was the fish!

Ill:

• The fish is based on an acrostic of the initial letters of the Greek words for Jesus Christ.

• To understand this symbol, you need to know the meaning of the acronym.

• The fish symbol, originates from the Greek word for fish, “ichthys/ichthus.”

• This word is further defined in the acrostic IXNYy (with the N flipped) that translates to:

• I – Iota or Iesous (which means Jesus)

• X – Chi or Christos (which means Christ)

• N – Theta or Theou (which means God)

• Y – Upsilon or Yidos/Huios (which means Son)

• Y – Sigma or Soter (which means Savior).

• Basically, the fish represents the phrase of “Jesus Christ God’s Son is Savior.”

• And was the early sign of Christianity.

• TRANSITION:

• The cross did not become a symbol of Christianity until about the fourth century.

• To the early Christians the cross was always a message,

• It was never a symbol, an ornament, a piece of jewellery but always a message.

Note:

• That is why I decided to speak on the verse from,

• First Corinthians chapter 1 verse 18 says,

"The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,

But to us who are being saved it is the power of God".

• N.I.V. “The message of the cross”

• Some translations say, “The preaching of the cross”.

• It literally reads the ‘logos’ of the cross,

• The emphasises in the verses is not the act of preaching,

• ‘Logos’ is the word, ‘meaning’, or, ‘the reason why.’

Ill:

• If you are at school or university,

• You use that word ‘Logos’ all the time and perhaps you don’t realise it!