The Cyrenian's Cross - Bro Jesse Howell 4-6-2025

Of it, Amen, every song, every word of exportation a

man our pastor.

I so appreciate him.

I personally say thank you for this opportunity.

Amen.

It's just a wonderful, wonderful, great privilege to stand here tonight.

I do feel like the Lord has has put something

on my heart.

For tonight's service and for someone here.

Amen.

I feel like it will be for.

Someone, maybe a few, but I feel like God will

help us, don't you, amen, looking for the Lord to

help us here?

Tonight?

I was praying here to it's this afternoon, and I

was walking in the ais and walking up and down here,

and I got real serious with God, and I said, God,

ain't coming to see me, right, Your children ain't coming

to hear me. Your children are coming to hear from you,

and they're coming to see you.

So just get me out of the way and let

them see you and let them hear you.

Amen, tonight in this service. And that's my prayer.

That's always my prayer.

And I just so thankful for God and all that

He's done for us and the many blessings that He's

given us. Say, man, I love what brother's dared said

that God has put always.

Put great people in my life. Man, it just resonated

with me.

You know, if you slow down sometimes you realize that

people that God's put in your life. You can see

the providential hand of God.

Amen.

And you could just sit back and you can be

wowed and amazed.

Amen.

And God for how he works and then he works. Amen.

It's just amazing, so good to be here tonight. Let's

get scarted here and Nele's get into the word. Luke

the twenty third chapter. Luke the twenty third chapter. We're

gonna read here, verse number twenty six. We also have

a context here tonight.

We have a cotext here tonight in the same book Luke,

chapter number nine, Verse number twenty three.

Amen, God's listening.

And as they led him away, they laid hold upon

one Simon Asserenian coming out of the country, and on

him they laid the cross, that he might bear it

after Jesus.

Flipping over to Luke chapter number nine, birth number twenty three, the.

Bible says, and he said to them all, speaking of Jesus.

If any man will come after me, let him.

Deny himself, take up his cross and fall on me.

Amen.

Is not a fancy.

Message, but I do feel like God has given it

to me just for a little while. Here tonight, I

want to preach on a simple thought and I want

to preach here tonight on.

The Serenians, the Sirenians cross. Amen.

Would you lift your hands and ask God to help

us here tonight.

Lord, we thank you.

So much for your goodness. Lord.

We thank you for your mercy and your grace. We

thank you so much for this service. God was so

grateful for your presence that we have felt in this place.

God, we thank you so much for your spirit.

Lord.

When he has come in tonight and it's broke the change,

and it's broke going all the hindrances, and you've tried

drove him out. God, we asked, it's your spirit, and

stay right here with us. God, Lets your annoying him

come into this place God and touch every heart, touch

every life and every mind. We'll be sure to give

you the glory. We'll give you the praise in Jesus

wonderful name.

Amen and Amen, Amen, God, bless you. Thank you for

standing for the reading of our texts here tonight. I

never paid much.

Attention to this, this text.

I've read it many times. I've read the story of

Jesus's trial, his death, is burial, his resurrection.

I've read many times of the trip that Jesus took

to gal Gotha, and I've never really took.

Time to notice this man named Simon.

I always read it, and I've always thought, you know,

if you asked me who Simon the Serenian was, I

would tell you that was the man that.

Bored Jesus's cross.

I knew who he was, but I never gave much

thought to the man until the Lord began to deal

with me about this.

Our text is very our text to both of them

are very.

Familiar territory to Bible readers and believers alike. You may

find this account in all three of the Sunoctive Gospels,

namely Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We have read but a

very small portion of the gross evil that took place

as Jesus carried our sins to gal Gotham, where he

would pay the ultimate supreme.

Sacrifice for each and.

Everyone through our time, past, present, and future, and through

this little window we see a man, and we meet

a man, and we become a queen with this man

named Simon. Historians record this man Simon being somewhere between

seven hundred to twelve hundred miles away from home. This

man was had quite the journey to get to where

he was at back in ancient In the ancient world,

we all know that they didn't have the modern conveniences

that we all have here today. So a seven hundred

or a twelve hundred mile walk or.

Donkey ride, either one would be sore.

Amen.

I'm sore after riding a good bending mine Ford Explorer

out there in a leather seat, a man with cushion,

I'm sore, So I don't care. It don't matter if

he was walking or if he was riding on a donkey.

That's a long long ride. He's a long way, and

he was simply passing by. He was simply passing through. Whenever,

as this man Jesus made his way down the Via Dolorosa,

Simon was not in the crowd shouting crucify him. Simon

was not in the crowd whenever they robbed him in

purple and they mocked him.

Simon was never Simon was never in the crowd.

It never took place in plaiting his hand with a

crown of Thors. Simon never took his hands and buried

it up with the thorn into the head of Jesus.

Amen Simon never plucked one to be your hair out

of Jesus.

He never, he never, He never.

Took part in the torture of Jesus Christ. He was

simply coming out of the country and passed by. You

can read it in one of the Gospels. Amen Simon

was likely most most scholars and biblical commentators believed that

Simon quite possibly was in town for the passover. He

was quite possibly in town just to celebrate the passover,

and then he would be going back to his house.

But the Bible says as.

He passed by, Simon was was was good, was arrested,

if you.

Will, and he was compelled to better cross of Jesus.

As Simon passed by, he was pressed into action. As

Simon happened by, he was chosen to better cross of Jesus.

Take with me all of the things that Simon could

have said, take with.

Me all the way that Simon could have acted.

Whenever he heard the booty, mean voice, whenever he heard

the loud voice.

Of the Roman soldier shouting.

Above the crowd, shouting above the authors, shouting about the

mom and said, hey you, how do you What do

you mean me, I'm just passing by. I've got nothing

to do with this. I've got nothing to do with

this man. I got nothing to do with what y'all

are doing to this man. What has the booming voice?

When the Roman soldiers smoke out, Hey you right there,

you come here, You're chosen to carry across He was

picked out of the crowd to carry the cross. Well Jesus,

no doubt, Simon said, I have nothing to do with

this baby. Simon said, I'm not even from here. But

despite Simon's reasoning, and despite his rationale, the will of

the Roman soldier wins out.

The will of.

The Roman soldier had the final say. Simon was no

match for the Roman soldier. Possibly the cross of a

man he possibly didn't know, right, very possible Simon didn't

know who Jesus was.

Depends on which commentator you read.

Some of them say he probably did, and did some

of them say he more than likely didn't a man.

So nonetheless, he maybe didn't know who this man was.

But at his cross got thrown over his shoulders and.

He began to carry the cross of Jesus, the Savior

of the world.

This was this for Simon, This was no doubt an

unexpected cross.

Amen, this was this was something that he didn't intend,

don't happening. Simon didn't wake up that morning and said,

I believe I'll go carry across. Simon didn't wake up

that morning and said, I believe I walk that road.

Ain't carrying that piece.

Of wood on my shoulder.

Now about his plans for the day, Amen, it was

an unexpected cross. And many times throughout our lives and

throughout our day to day, we getcounter an unexpected cross.

Amen.

Many times situations arise and we look around and we say,

I wasn't expecting that.

I didn't know this, what's gonna happened?

Where in the world did this come from?

Where did the cross come from?

Crosses have become a metaphor for the Christian believers today.

It was no metaphor for Signon that day as he

curled under the.

Load, Well, that cross, he wasn't a metaphor. But today

it is a metaphor for our sicknesses. Today, it is

a metaphor.

For our armor.

Armor are sacrifices. Today it is a metaphor for our hardships. Amen,

for those things and on a daily basis, we kneal

in Amen. Amen, sickness comes to our family, mind battles,

or or we begin to face opposition at work or

even at home, my friends and family.

Amen.

These are things that we consider as crosses nowadays, in

modern times.

The metaphor Amen. A cross could be physical or it

could be spiritual. Amen.

We have physical crosses, such as are health. Amen, such

as sicknesses.

That come upon us. Amen, Oh God help us here tonight.

I see many people in.

The church world that believe they should never have to fight.

I see many people throughout time the thing that they

should never have to struggle for anything, if they should

never have to carry across. They feel like they should

never have to get under the load and carry.

A little bit away.

Amen.

Amen, a little hardship comes a little cross to there,

and they want to give up.

Amen.

They want to r you the fight to the cross.

Are you in?

The fight of the cross? Will not change it?

Are you in the fight of the cross, will not

change the way of the cross.

The cross must be carried. Amen.

Jesus said that if you're gonna come after me, you

have to do a few things. The first thing Jesus

said that you must do is deny yourself.

Forget about hell you think it should be done.

Amen, leave your own desires, your ad ambitions, and surrender to.

God's will and his plan. Amen. Deny yourself. That's the

first thing. Number Two, he said, take up your cross daily.

If you're gonna come after me, you have to take

up your cross. Amen. If the daily commitment to follow Jesus.

The cross here symbolizes hardships, struggles, and sacrifices. Number three,

Jesus says, follow me. Jesus says, after you denied yourself,

after you took off your cross, now it's time just

to follow.

Aymen. After you've got under the way, then it's time

to follow. Simon had no part in making Jesus's cross.

Simon didn't go out to the wood that day with

a saw or a or.

A chainsaw in the morny and time, Amen, and cut

down that cross.

He didn't shave it, he didn't send it down, He

didn't cut all the branches off. He had no part

in making the cross that he was to man.

Amen.

He had nothing to do with the decision to crucify Jesus.

He didn't he wasn't there in the crowd. I've already

said it.

Sometimes, Friend, we have everything to do with the cross

we carry.

Amen.

Sometimes we sat there and we windled our own cross. Amen.

Sometimes we go out, we cut our own cross, and

then we have to bear it.

Amen.

Amen.

Sometimes we forge our own cross, physically or spiritually.

Amen.

We have been known to manufacture our own crosses, and

when they get thrown on our shoulders, then we wonder

why we have to carry them. Then we wonder why

we have to get under the load of this cross.

Friend.

We made that.

Cross, Friend, we made those decisions. We made that bad

and we must lie in it. We made that cross

and we must carry it.

Amen.

Amen. We act in ways that we shouldn't. We say

things that we shouldn't.

We treat people ways that we shouldn't. And at the

end of the day, that cross is ours to bear.

Amen.

Sometimes our crosses our self appointed. They may other times

the cross that we bear is divinely appointed.

Amen.

There's two crosses in our lives, self appointed crosses, crosses

that we manufacture and we make ourselves. The second tribe

of cross in our lives are divinely assigned my God

to test us, and to see if we're willing to

carry the cross, to see if we're willing to make

the track.

All the way they may.

The Bible the other times, where do we have divinely

appointed crosses?

Better to work an end result in our life?

The Bible makes mention of Simon's sons, Alexander and Rufus.

I thought maybe Alexander and Rufus were standing there when

they seen that cross get put on their dead I thought,

you know, Alexander said, what are you doing that? Well,

I'm carrying his cross. This guy said, I had to

carry it. Now, I had to get under it. And

they watched how Simon carried the cross, and they watched

how Simon treated the Roman soldier. And they watched how

Simon treated those around him when he got under the load.

Parents, our kids watch us when we.

Get under the load. They watch us when we have

the way of across on our lives. I wonder what

Alexander and Rufus would say, okay.

And we called on them. They said how they told

that he's treated.

Hey?

And I wonder what ice tong sons.

Would say if someone asked him today, how does your

dad act whenever he got.

The weight of the world on him.

Whenever he took the way to the cross on him.

I wonder what they'd say about their mind whenever they

see that unexpected cross, whenever they seen that cross come

out and know that they get placed on their shoulders,

that unexpected cross.

That no one was expecting. Where did this come from?

I wonder how they see us?

Act?

I wonder how they've seen us, Dude. Amen, they're watching us.

They watch how we act, and they learn from us. Amen.

Our children watch how we act, and they learn from us.

I'm not gonna turn the sideways right here, Amen. Simon

walked into.

The pages of eternal history because he carried the cross. Amen,

simply be calls Simon carrying across with dignity, simpleman calls

Simon historically carried across. He walked on the scripture, and

he's an eternal remembrance because of how he carried across.

If Simon wouldn't have carried across, we wouldn't know.

About him in twenty twenty five.

If Simon wouldn't to carry the cross, we wouldn't.

Know it about him. Fifty years ago.

Amen, he would have just been somebody that came into Jerusalem,

fo hundred niles from home. That happened to be there

when Jesus crucified, and he went home and he.

Said, man, they crucified someone while I was down there.

And I'm pretty sure he was innocent.

But we would have never heard about it, We would

have never read it in the pages of the Bible.

If Simon hadn't have carried across, Amen, no one would

remember Simon the Sirenian. But now he is held, he

never last rememberance. How we carry our cross, we'll be

how someone remembers us. How Simon carrying across is how

we remember him.

And if I ask you.

Who Simon, this Sardian was, you say that was the

man that carried Jesus's cross, and how he carried across,

we'll be someone's lasting remembering remember its man. I think

of instances in my chursonal life.

One of them is my brother. I mentioned it a lot,

even at the nursing home.

Abad.

I'm so thankful we carry crosses.

In our lives, and how we carry that cross tells

a great story about us.

Amen.

I think about brother Philip, has he carried across of

sickness as he carried the cross of cancer. Amen, with

dignanty and with praise.

Amen.

I thought about this this afternoon. I thought about Brother

Robert hemon.

Amen. He was a hero of mind in the faith.

Amen.

He was blind, and he wasn't blind when I first

met him, but.

Many years later he became blind. And I can remember

him even.

Now sitting there in the church bearing his cross. Amen,

bearing his cross Abay, whenever he thought it.

Was about church times, I'm saying, hello, you praise the

Lord they have He was ready for church. That was

someone that bar across with dignity. That was someone that

didn't show me.

And I don't know what the word to use right now,

but I'm just, oh, let's just use over react. When

the cross put on him, Amen, he didn't don't bisark

and nuts and and tell old man, I can't handle

this because now I can't see nothing.

That was a cross for him to bear, and he

bored Amen.

And I want Sister Cheryl to know that we see

that cross that she bears.

Amen.

And for many many years, Sister Cheryl, for many many years.

I'll tell my kids, Amen, and I tell my grandkids.

That the Lord is fed.

That I saw the.

Lady sitting in my church period, in my day's church that.

Had a cross the bar, how to cross the bath, Simon,

you've got across.

There's no ane of that.

There's no to nine that if.

A head of cross, there's no to nine that if

a god to cross there.

You didn't expect.

But I can stand back and I can look and

I can see that cross being carry Amen, and I

can see that testimony of that cross.

And we will remember.

Sister Sheryl by many things, but one of them will be.

How she carried her cross. Amen.

Amen, Pastor and the first lady here today are exam

great examples like Simon of Hell to accept our cross.

I've already said it. Simon could have stood there, and

are you He was blew in the face.

And more than likely it would have cost him his.

Life if he would have stood there and rebelled against

the Roman soldier.

I really think the Roman.

Soldier would have stuck him through in half a second.

Because if you have anything a temper, and you have

any being a power like those Roman soldiers did, if

anyone wants to blow up against one of them.

Well they just prove a point with you, amen, They

just prove a point. So that the next guy didn't

give you no lip. Amen. Simon had no chance. And

are you and the cross? It was his the bear.

We can't are you the cross? We can't are you.

The way we must carry? We must simply get under

the way carrying.

Amen. I have no doubt that Simon got tired has

to carry this cross.

Amen, No doubt he probably stumbled once or twice.

But this is what I saw whenever I was studying this.

I believe with much, with much carefulness, those Romans soldiers,

Roman soldiers.

Looked through that krimon. Who do we think can carry

this cross?

Yeah?

Who am I? This group of people can carry this.

Cross from where we're at right here and make it

all oway.

To where we're going. And if you've got a cross tonight,

it's because that cross has been chosen for you.

That cross has been put on your shoulder, and says

this here, because God knew that you could carry that cross.

R a feeling. That cross that was put on Joe's life.

That situation that Joe plaud himself here was because God's said,

have you considered my sermon? Have you seen Joe.

Ay Man Simon was handed to carry the cross.

Heymen, he was chosen. He was chosen for that cross.

Simon didn't didn't plan on carrying across to a crucifixion

when he left Sirene. It wasn't in his plan, but

it was in God's plan. Hey man, Simon's cross was unexpected.

Christ was for seved. Jesus knew the cross was coming.

Many many old ten them a prophet that prophesied about

the cross that Jesus was the bear. Jesus knew the

cross was coming. Simon didn't. Prim we have unexpected crosses,

but he knows about it. It's unexpected to us, but

it's foreseen by him.

Amen.

He's seen it before it ever it ever had, before

it ever came upon us.

He's seen that cross, and a knew we had a

streak to carry the cross.

Amen. Wow.

I will admit to you here tonight that following Jesus

requires surrenderance and sacrifice. I will admit to you that

it takes a little bit of want to Amen, takes

a little bit of strength, and it.

Takes a little bit of grit to follow Jesus.

Jesus when he was talking to the rinch young man,

he said, if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all.

That thou hast give to the poor. Thou shalt have

treasure in heaven. Come and follow me.

This was a great cross for this man. It was

a wonderful, magnificent cross.

Go and sell all that you have.

Amen, this was.

A heavy cross for this young man. Amen.

Following Jesus has crosses. We must carry our cross. Amen.

There is a cross that comes with following Jesus.

There is a cross that comes with following Jesus. But

how encouraging is the fact that across carried for Jesus

is a cross carried with Jesus.

Amen.

In our text, the Bible said, lou followed after Jesus. Amen,

I mean Simon followed after Jesus. He went up after Jesus.

He followed in the steps of Jesus. Yes, he was

carrying across for Jesus. But he was carrying across with Jesus.

And if we.

Carry crosses in this life, and if we face circumstances,

then we don't understand and circumstances and we don't see

the dings and we never seen happening praying. If we've

got Jesus, it's not only across that we must carry

it's across that we've carried with Jesus. Simon followed directly

after Jesus said his feet.

We're a wear of Jesus' feet.

Word.

We hear much about Jesus.

Carrying our cross and our sins, and here we see

a man that's.

Willing to carry the cross of Jesus. Amen.

Here we see a man that stepped out of his

comfort zone and said.

I will wear that cross.

I will carry that cross, and I'll carry it the

best that I can. I'll put my heart into it,

and I'm not grumble about it. I'll not complain about it.

But the Bible says it rains on the just and

the unjust.

Alike.

Amen, everyone carries a cross. The difference is we carry

across with Jesus.

Amen.

Could we stand here tonight?

Jesus carried the sins in the way of the world,

a Simon carried his cross, AmAm, Jesus carried the sins,

and Simon carried the cross Jesus carried out of sins.

The least that we can do is carrying our cross.

Ama Luke said. There followed him a great company of

pete that's in diverse. After our text and there followed

him a great company of people and of women, which

also bewailed and lamented him.

Luke said, there followed a great company. There was a

lot of people. There was a mob out there that day.

But among those that were there, only one man stood

out in the crowd.

Amen.

Only one man stood out as the cross bearer, and

that was Simon.

Amen.

I'm done here tonight, I'm fish. This is what the

Lord gave me. I delivered my heart.

Amen. We can we have a cross to beary. I

told you. I want to argue the fact we have

across to bury to bear. Amen. But we must bury

with him. And when we follow him.

Amen, if we if we walk where he walked, if

we put our feet steps it's his, we won't get lost.

Amen.

And then whenever it gets hard, whenever the road gets

hard and the cross gets heavy, if we stay with him,

he's right here.

Amen.

We're gonna carry across in this life, whether we have

Jesus or not. The difference in Simon, whenever he carried across,

he stayed behind Jesus.

So Jesus was never but an arm length of the way.

Amen.

If you follow with jesus'll be right there.

When that cross gets heavy, Amen, when that wave gets heavy,

he'll be right there.

Amen.

Let's all find a place here to pray tonight. Amen.

I'm so thankful for God, so thankful for Jesus and

all that stuff to carry the weight of our sins. Amen,

to carry our sins. And we was carried out a cross.

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