The Benefits Of The Cross

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

March 31st. 2014

Ephesians 1:3–14

The Benefits of the Cross

Goal/message series/Hope/Cross/Today

• Learn/surpassing greatness, power/authority/cross

• So we can respond in praising God/defeating Satan

• Giving us access/Christ’s rule/authority as heirs/eternal inheritance.

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Certain advantages/come/being/platinum flyer.

• When/accrue/large number of miles/airline company

• They/send/book/benefits/significant opportunities for you to take advantage of.

• Upgrade options/priority access options/other benefits.

But in order/use them you must know the privileges of what your platinum level relationship with the airlines company affords.

• Failure/understand your “inheritance” of benefits

• Results/not enjoying/significant opportunities available for you to enjoy.

Many Christians also fail to know all the rights and privileges that the cross has afforded them.

They fail to utilize/benefits/God has ordained for His saints.

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Let’s look/INHERITANCE Eph. 1:14 “our salvation”.

• Greek/word “pledge” mean a “down payment.”

• God/set aside “down payment” heaven/you/receive/earth

• A deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.

• As a believer, you/on your way to heaven.

However, God does not want you to have to wait to get there in order to feel and experience what heaven is like.

There/piece/heaven/has been allocated to you right now.

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• Unfortunate/Christians come/church/every Sunday/Wednesday

• Still functioning w/o knowing all/rights/privileges/cross has afforded them.

• Fail/maximize/utilize/benefits/God has ordained and bequeathed for His saints.

Knowing about/cross w/o knowing the authority/benefits of the cross will keep you from experiencing all God has in store for you.

What/cross provides to you/me/opportunity to see what God can do beyond the normal, everyday routine of life.

• Cross/key/God invading/difficult or mundane circumstances of life

• just like He invaded the tomb/Jesus after He died/cross

• Flipping things around in order/reveal His power/authority.

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A lot of Christians sing about God’s power

• Talk about God’s power

• Can never testify to experiencing God’s power since they have never accessed God’s power

• They have never seen Him turn

• Twist/tweak things beyond their human comprehension.

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Ever watched an action-adventure film

• Hero/story is trying to locate a special artifact or treasure?

All along the way, he/she faces opposition after opposition coming from the enemy who is trying to divert him or her from reaching their goal and benefiting from their prize.

• Films remind me/what Satan attempts to do/lives/believers.

• you and I have a precious treasure

• a unique possession/our enemy doesn’t want us to discover

• Things available to us that he doesn’t want us to get.

He will use no limits to stop you or I from picking up the treasure that God has for us.

Paul gives us some insight into the benefits and authority the treasure/cross has to offer when he writes/church at Ephesus.

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CROSS DISPLAYS GOD’S SURPASSING GREATNESS

• Believe/greatness/God’s power

• Resurrection/Christ demonstrates God’s power Eph 1:19–21)

• God raised Christ from/dead/seated Him in/heavenlies

“Friend, not only does Jesus Christ have a chair in heaven to sit down in………………..you have a chair there as well.

• You have been “seated … with Him”

• Above all rule and authority.

• You have been spiritually relocated.

• Believe God provides power to you

• God’s power/raised Christ from the dead

• Is also available to you

God/enough power/turn even/worst scenario/your life into victory

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• President/United States sits/Oval Office/White House

• what he decrees there can impact you wherever you are

• Can even impact people halfway around the world.

Because where/president sits/powerful location above all other powers in our nation.

• If one man in one city can affect an entire nation

• or even the world, politically

• What do you think/King/kings/Lord/lords can do sitting far above all rule and authority?

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2. THE CROSS DEMONSTRATES CHRIST’S AUTHORITY

• Believe Jesus/supreme authority

Jesus:

• ascension placed Him above all rule/authority

• disarmed sin’s power over you Col 2:14–15

• sits far above any situation you are dealing with

Believe Jesus imparts authority to you

• Authority/the right to use/power you possess

When you identify with Christ’s cross, resurrection, and ascension

You identify with His authority that overrides Satan’s power

• Believe Jesus’ authority rules over Satan

• Although Satan is more powerful than you

• he is not strong enough to overcome Christ’s authority

• Jesus disarmed Satan (Col 2:15)

Satan doesn’t have the last word because Jesus now sits high above all rule and authority

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Referees are not the strongest men/football field

• In fact, they are older, slower and heavier

• Referee throws out a yellow flag

• Player who is much bigger/him/has to yield.

• Faster player has to slow down.

• stronger player has to do what ref says

• referee has a greater power called authority.

• Authority overrules power.

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3.CROSS AUTHORITY/POWER/ACCESSED THRU/COMMUN

Take communion to access the authority/power/cross

Communion:

• Ushers in both a physical and spiritual reality