26th March 2023 - Teaching Service - Dave Food - Take up your Cross

Yeah, Dave, we'll be bringing us the message this morning. Take up

your crops day. Thank you, h We pray for you before before you

begin. Please, heavenly five week gave up to you. Place him in

your hands, Lord, and we pray for the express and lighting upon you

the Lord. May he be your mouth peace. Lord, use him to

bring your word to your people. Lord, Bless him, strengthen him,

protect him, cover him, Lord, and we thank you for him and

for his life and for his for the anointing you've given him. Lord in

Jesus Mighty, name your wife Thanky morning. Everybody. It's gat to have

hot water ready for tea. But it can be a distraction, can't it.

We're continuing our service and our study and our journey on the cross.

And I don't know what kind of week you've had. Some of us have

brilliant weeks. Some of us had average weeks. Some of us had dreadful

weeks. But God is still God. Some of us had had an argument

this morning. Some of us got up and enjoyed a joyful morning. Some

of us woke up late because we didn't realize we needed to put the clock

forward. And suddenly we realized and then we're wondering. We're looking at one

clock and saying, is that clock being updated automatically or is it do I

need to update it? You do that when you wake up in the money,

you wonder within the muddern technology whether it's been updated or not. And

then suddenly we're in a rush, and we're in a hurry. Do you

know what One of the things I can say is that the cross stands at

the center of all time. The cross stands at the center of who we

are as Christians, stands at the center of who we are as God's creation.

So what does God? What does the cross represent? Let's start with

it was a fulfillment of prophecy. In Genesis three, verse fifteen, it

says this, and I will put enmity between you and a woman, and

between your seed and her. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise

his heel. It was a fulfillment because the cross signed that Satan has been

defeated. The cross in the cross in Jesus's time was a brutal, dreadful,

challenging, shameful death. Wasn't the kind of thing that you said,

well, my grandfather, he was crucified. That's not the kind of thing

that you kind of shared. It was brutal and challenging. And in Psalm

twenty two it says this as we read of the sufferings, we read about

sufferings in scripture. David wrote very clearly about sufferings in Psalms, My God,

this is David complaining to God, My God, my God, why

have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me? And

from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry in the

daytime, but you do not hear, and in the night season and am

not silent. But you are holy, enthroned in the praises at Israel.

Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them. They

cried to you and were delivered. They trusted in you and were not ashamed.

But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men,

and despised by the people. All those who see me ridicule me. They

shoot me out their lips, they shake their head, saying, he trusted

in the Lord, let him rescue him, let him deliver him, since

he delights in him. But you are he who took me out of the

womb. You made me trust whilst on my mother's breasts. I was cast

upon you from birth. From my mother's womb, you have been my God.

Be not far from me, for trouble is near, but there is

none to help. Many bulls have surrounded me, strong bulls of bation have

encircled me. They gape at me with their mouths like a raging and roaring

lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out

of joint. My heart is like wax. It has melted within me.

My strength is dried up like a pot's herd, and my tongue clings to

my jaw. And you have brought me to the dust of death. For

dogs have surrounded me. The congregation the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced

my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look

and stare at me. They divide my garments amongst them, and for my

clothing they cast lots. But you, o Lord, do not be far

from me. Oh my strength, hasten to help me. Deliver me from

the sword my precious life, from the power of the dog, Save me

from the lion's mouth, and from the horns of the wild Oxen. You

have answered me. I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst

of the assembly. I will praise you, you who fear the Lord.

Praise him, all your descendants of Jacob, Glorify him and fear him,

all you offspring of Israel. For he was not despised, nor aboard the

affliction of the afflicted, Nor has he hidden his face from him, or

when we cry to him, he heard. My pray shall be of you

in the great Assembly, and I will pay my vows before those who fear

him. Now, I want you to just note here this is David writing

a song, and listen to the words that I'm sure and I'm not going

to repeat them again, but just look how they synchronize with what happened on

the cross. This was David crying out to God, I am I am

worthless, envy, bring this to an end. Why have you left me?

Why have you? Do we not hear those words cried out from the

cross by Christ? You know? So the cross represents our suffering. Here's

an example of David crying out in suffering, and Jesus reflects on the cross

as he cries out to his father, where have you gone. Why have

you? So? I think it's very clearly mirrors to us that Christ on

the cross understands our suffering. I wonder what the cross means to you.

I wonder whether you know someone who's had their reputation crucified. I wonder whether

you know someone or maybe it's true for you where suddenly something that was has

been taken away. Jesus teaches us to take up our cross. Crucifixion was

for criminals, so why should we take up our cross? The nails,

the torment, the agony were well known. When Jesus told his followers to

take up the cross to follow him, it wasn't a pleasant proposition. I

remember many many years ago somebody preaching on the cross at this time of year,

and when we were meeting in Manorcroft School, and they bought a big

piece of wood along, and they bought some great big nails along, and

as part of their sermon, they hammered a nail into the wood and just

you know, these were these weren't little kind of nails that we use,

the proper nails that you kind of. There were handcrafted, the great big

nails, and it took an effort to hammer this nail in, and just

the sound ringing around the room made it visceral, made it realize that actually

crucifixion was a horrible thing. So why would we want to take up our

cross? I believe Jesus has a deeper meaning in mind. He wants us

to put to death the things that are not of God, and he wants

to see the things that are of Him arise. As followers of Jesus,

we need one hundred percent dedication to him, no turning back, no turning

back. In Galatians chapter five, Galatians chapter five, verse twenty four,

and those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Have you ever done something? I've done something. I've done things when I

think, oh, I wish I could put that back in the box.

I wish I hadn't said that. I wish I hadn't done that. But

it's out there, it's happened. You know. The best way to not

have to put it back in the box is to never have taken out of

the box in the first place. And so that speaks to us changing,

That speaks to us being different when we find ourselves taking the same things out

of the box again and again and again, and choosing again to please ourselves.

We don't deny ourselves. And one of the things that I believe taking

up our cross speaks of. It speaks of not denying who we are,

but denying the spirit that's in us, our fleshly nature, our selfishness.

And God calls us to be self less. God encourages us. Jesus gives

us the example is he sacrificed his self on the cross, as he died

upon the cross. Now, it's not easy to deny ourselves. Our sinful

nature rises up. There are things that we should do. There are things

that we do that we shouldn't do, and there are things that we shouldn't

do that we do do. And there's the conflict, there's the battle.

In Romans chapter eight, verse five, it says this, those who according

to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires. But

those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the

spirit desires. So one un easier way to deny yourself is to fulfill yourself

with God's presence, follow him and make his choices. So it's to before

we even look in the box to adjusted our mindset. Jesus did this,

as we read in Philippians two, verse eight, he humbled himself and became

obedient to death, even death on the cross. One way to leave things

where they belong is to take them to the cross and leave them there where

they belong. So taking up our cross encourage us to put aside selfish desires.

Following God's will doesn't mean that we have to squash our personality or be

unhappy. Because God's plans the best plan. We find fulfillment and contentment and

unspeakable joy. In One Peter one, verse eight, though you have not

seen him, you love him. And even though you do not see him,

now you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.

We need to guard our thoughts because this is where it starts. It

starts in our heads, where we start thinking. Where does temptations start.

It starts in our response to a trigger. It starts in our response to

a nice chocolate cake. And maybe we could treat ourselves and allow us one,

But how many times have we had one? And then the second,

then a third, then a fourth. Let's guard our thoughts. Philippians for

versays, as as Paul's closing out this letter. Finally, Brethren, whatever

things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever

things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report,

if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate

on these things. That's how we guard our thoughts. He's ending out a

letter here, and we've been looking at this in our daytime Bible study with

Lexio Divinas. As Pete Gregg is encouraging us to meditate, to pause,

to consider, to allow things to sink in. If the water of God's

words stays on the surface of who we are and it doesn't bear any and

any any any benefit, it doesn't soak in and cause us to walk a

different way, to make a different choice. Has anybody ever been in prison,

maybe visiting, maybe maybe on a tour. If there's one way of

discouraging people from criminal choices is to put them in a cell and shut the

door. Simeon Sterney, who's been a long time connection to running me Christian

Frillowship. He used to be the chaplain of Bronzefield and I've visited a number

of times in the prison, and we talked to some of the prisoners,

and one of the things they hate, you know what it was. It

wasn't the shutting of the door. It was the jangling of the keys.

Because every time the keys jangled, there was a sign that someone could open

someone could open the door and let them out. But sometimes they'd hear the

he's dangling. It wasn't their door that was opening, as somebody else was

being escorted somewhere else, and just said that rays of expectation that they were

going to get out and get some fresh air and get out into the yard,

or get out into a bigger space, and then that disappointment when the

guard walked by and let somebody else free. In Colossians three, I'm not

going to read all of this. It's three. I'll let you read the

whole of the scripture yourself, of verses five to seventeen. But just let

me read a couple of verses. Is therefore put to death your members,

which are earth fornication, uncleanliness, passionate evil, desire, and covetousness,

which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming

on the sons of disobedience in which you yourselves were once walked when you lived

in them. But now you, yourselves are put off all these things,

anger, wrathy, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not

lighter one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

and you have put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge

and according to the image of him who created him. So that image of

putting aside our fleshly desires and choosing the desires of the spirit, the fruits

of the spirit, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness.

You know, it is a choice we make whether we're going to be

kind. It is a choice we make whether we're going to be gentle.

It's a choice we make to forgive. And it's so easy to allow things

like fear and conflict and jealousy to rise up. That's not fair. How

many times do you hear that people wanting to say, I want my piece,

I want my fair share. So let me encourage us to run the

race. The run the race that He's set before us Hebrews twelve, verses

one and two. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great

a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that

so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is

set before us. The only way we can win is to begin running the

race. We don't win a prize if we don't start. And so when

Christ says, take up your cross and follow me, he's leading by example.

It's different for each one of us. Each one of us has our

own journey, our own path, our own way, our own feelings,

our own awkwardness. But we can look to the cross. We can look

to Christ, and we can look to him hanging there and think he knew,

he knows, he understands. And so therefore, when we're encouraged to

take up our cross and follow him, we lay aside the things of ourselves

and take on the things of the Father. The compassion, kindness, humility,

gentleness, patience, and forgiveness might be manifest in you and me in

Acts chapter one, verse eight. But you shall receive power when the Holy

Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and

in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Do

you know when we take up our cross and follow him. We broadcast the

good news of the gospel, because instead of it being our selfish nature,

it's His self less nature that shines in us and for us and through us.

I can't remember the I've used this. I can't remember the last time

I used this phrase. But I've often talked about shiny people. And it's

not because they've got they've just done some exercise and they've got a little sheen

on their face because they've been in the gym. It's because they shine from

the inside out despite what's going on. And there's almost like when they smile,

they reveal something inside. The smile is so much bigger than just the

parting of the lips. The eyes smile, the body smiles. And I

hope that each one of us can be a shiny person this week. That

we can take light into a dark place. We can take positiveness into negative

situations. We can take wisdom and prophetic words, God's words into moments of

confusion to bring clarity. So Church, let's run the race. Let's not

start, let's not turn up. Let's run the race that He's called us

to run, and let's take up our cross. Now taking that image of

running a race and taking up our cross seems crazy. It seems like we've

already snagged ourselves and we're kind of already creating an obstacle race of what seems

like a marathon in the first place. Do you know what, we take

up our cross. He helps us carry it. He doesn't just go there.

You go carry across just like I did. See, it's not easy.

Just as the father enabled the son, the father enables us to carry

our cross. Do you know what, the more we carry it, the

less it weighs, Because we give it back to him. We just say,

Lord, I can't do it in my own strength. I need you.

And when we come to the end of ourselves, that's when we run

out. When we come to the end of ourselves, we run out.

And that's when, if we allow him, he can step in. Lord,

help me I am weak, make me strong, I am poor,

make me rich, Fill me with all that I need. So let me

encourage you to run the race this morning, this week, we stepped into

some time this summer. For God so loved the world that he gave his

one and only son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but

have everlasting life. One of the strange things as I was preparing for this

and reading through, and that's one of the reasons why I read so much

of Psalm twenty two was for those who love handles the Messiah, that those

particular words are literally word for word in the Messiah. He trusted in God.

And see one of the choruses that the choir sing. And so for

anybody, you've already probably got some tunes running around your head, just because

I've just connected that for you again. And the end of the second part

of the Messiah, it's known as the Hallelujah chorus, and the hallelu chorus

has a tradition built around it because it's so moved the King when he first

heard it that he stood up. And because the King stood, everybody else

stood, and so there's been a bit of a tradition ever since then that

often when the Hallelujah chorus has sung, people stand, and I just think

it's a reflection Hallelujah, God, You're here. And I want that to

be true for everyone today, that Hallelujah, Lord, You're here. Hallelujah.

I don't have to do this on my own. I can do it

with you. And so the thought of taking up our cross and laying aside

something of ourselves seems hard. But do you know what, once we start

doing it, it becomes easier. It becomes a lifestyle. A decision becomes

a choice, a choice becomes a habit, a habit becomes a lifestyle.

And I've even seen some research on this that talks about seven times if you

make you know, if you let's say you're a smoker and you want to

give up smoking, the first day you decided I'm not going to do it

today, and then the next day, and then the next day, and

then the next day, and seven days suddenly those choices have become a habit,

and then seven weeks, and then suddenly it's become a lifestyle. And

if we find it hard, then we need God's help to help us to

do that, whether that whatever that is that we need to step out of.

Because it's very easy to get stuck on the rails. My father in

law told me a story many years ago about how he was riding down a

particular street in Coventry and there were tramlines in the road and he got his

bike stuck in the tramlins. He was riding down and slipped into the tramlines,

and he couldn't get out, and he ended up falling off his bike.

Sometimes we can get stuck in the tramlines of life. Sometimes we can

get stuck in particular ways. Thinking doesn't mean we have to fall over.

We just need to ask somebody to help us out, help us out of

the tram lines that we're in. So let me encourage you to pour the

love of Christ into yourself. Allow the love of Christ to be poured in

you so that the love of Christ could be poured into others. And that's

where we get the power from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will help

us and enable us. We can't do it on our own. If we're

thinking of taking up our cross, then we need to do it with mercy

and love, forgiveness and grace. Let's focus on him and do this self

lessly rather than selfishly. Let me pray by the God to be more like

your son and Lord. Often ourself gets in the way. Often, our

ways, our habits, our choices get in the way. So Father,

help us to lift our eyes up from looking at ourselves and get our eyes

to look at the cross, to look through the cross. To the Father,

to be thankful for the son, our savior, Jesus Christ, who

paid the price for us, that we might know the fullness, the fullness

of his presence in our lives. Help us today to take up our cross

and follow him. Help us to be more like him. We pray,

Father, help us to go the extra mile, Help us to give the

extra minute. Help us to take the extra moment, to share, to

talk, to give, so that more of your life might be manifest in

our worlds. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen,