The Cross

SF.2.22.2013 When we mention the cross what comes to your mind? The cross. To us the cross has a good meaning. The reason is because of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, a path has opened up for us to be a child of God, a path of forgiveness for our sins. The cross means something good for us and many people even wear it on their bodies. But the original cross was for a sinner to bear and be crucified on. It was a means of torture to the one who was to be killed. But today the cross has become a symbol of adoration and holiness. The cross was originally something that was looked at with disgust and dishonor though now it carries a good meaning because Jesus died on it as a sinner. Why did Jesus have to die on this cross for me? We think that Jesus should have died for us, and that by carrying the cross ourselves we have become Christians and are now people going to Heaven. We think about these matters too lightly. The suffering on the cross is something we are not even qualified to talk about. I have never been on the cross so I do not know. I have suffered some pain, and it is only pain because I suffer. But even that at times has been difficult and unbearable. Those who were originally put on the cross were sinners convicted of crimes. But Jesus who was without sin, was nailed on the cross for me. This arouses no emotion or thought to us. It is mere information that you know that Jesus died for me. God came down into a body of a virgin whom He created and as a child grew up, and lived as us in the body and lived for thirty years before starting His ministry and then dying. We really do not know Jesus. We think we know Him and therefore experience no emotion, we have no joy in God’s sovereign power, we do not delight in Him. If we truly were grateful for His death on the cross we could not be like this. If we would focus on the Jesus and the cross when we go through our sufferings and trials we would be able to persevere and be victorious but we do not look to Him. In the walk of faith we are told to die to ourselves and carry the cross. We cry when we get a small splinter in our finger. We refuse to abandon everything and carry then cross and when it gets to that point we walk away. We like the blessed Jesus, the good Savior, the one who gives us joy, we like to know that He heals us when we are sick, provides for us when we are in need. We are focused only on the blessings and desire God who is good. When we first come into the faith we seek this good Savior, the one who gives joy, and is blessed but as our faith grows we see that there is also pain, suffering and trials, which is where our faith grows. We have grown up from childhood through our various experiences. Whether you are 10 or 20, through trials and suffering, we grow and live. Faith also is tested for maturity through spiritual trials. We do not desire to have this mature faith. The reason? Because there is pain. There is pain in bearing the cross. Because you are to raise others up. You are to forgive others. You are to love others whom you consider lower than yourself. You are to love. Our Lord tells us to love the ones we want to hate. We hate to forgive. We hate to love. We hate and look upon those whom we consider less than ourselves with disdain. We ignore others. But the Bible teaches us that these are the ones whom we are to embrace, love, forgive and walk together with as one. But we do not want to. Though they may have really wronged us, betrayed us, and abandoned us, these are the ones that God tells us to forgive, love and ultimately bless. We do not want to bless them. We do not even want to forgive them, but because we fear that God will not forgive us for not forgiving them, we do that much. We fight with God. We are like a yo-yo. When God saves to forgive we say we will not. Then when we kneel down to pray we say that we will. Then the moment we open our eyes and see the person we do not want to forgive them. We ask why we need to forgive that person when that person is the one who wronged me. There is no benefit in it for me. Then again we kneel down to pray and God tells us to forgive them. Then after fighting with God we forgive them. Then again we open our eyes and we cannot. We keep doing this until we mature in the faith and then one day we forgive. Then God tells us to love. A person we hate we can forgive when we do not see them. But now that we are able to forgive, God tells us to love. Love is not easy. Why does the Lord then love us? Are we worthy of His forgiveness? Are we worthy of His love? We are not. What does the Lord say? He tells us to love others as He has loved us. This is not easy even for me. There are times even now when it is not easy for me. Jesus Christ loved me and died on the cross for me. “Did I not die for you?” “Did I not die for your eternal salvation?” “Can you not die for me?” “Can you not forgive them and love them for me?” Our Lord is asking us. What are you going to do? We fight. We remind the Lord that we have forgiven but is it too much to ask that we do not love? We say that love is a give and take relationship but that person does not love me, why is it that I must love? This is the same with our spousal relationship and our relationship with our children. My husband is the one who does not love me, why must I love him? My wife is the one who does not love me, why must I love her? This is how we are to one another. Children are the same. He has told us to nurture our children in love. He has told the children to be obedient in love. This is very difficult for us. But He has commanded us to love others as He has loved us. We are to love the Lord and our neighbors. We are to start with loving those who are next to us. There are not many things that please us in our lives. Each of our standards are different. Someone may like “A” but the person next to them may not like it. Each of us has our own thoughts. No matter how good I am to you and you are to me, unless it meets my standards I will not be pleased. We are the same. Because we do not know the heart of people or the heart of the ones whom we interact we love according to our standards. God tells us to love and forgive according to the standard of His Word. Be it not for God’s standard there is much that I could not forgive. I never thought that others could not forgive me, I have lived up to now not being able to forgive many things. But in God’s grace I have come to know that I have been unforgiving of many people and incidents in my life, and others have not been able to forgive me and not love me for the things I have said. I will never really know their hearts. I have a hard time understanding my own heart. But we think that everyone else needs to understand us, be like us, and think like us. Our thoughts are not to be the same independently but rather it is to be one in thought, heart and purpose in Jesus Christ. That is in the Lord. In the Lord we are to be one heart and have one purpose. We each have differing thoughts and understandings but in this, God unites us and desires that we walk together as one. Once we have passed this test then the next lesson is to bless others. To pray for them and bless them. What happens when we bless them? We feel like we are losing something. We can forgive and love, but when we bless them and they do well, then we get sick to our stomachs, but still God tells us to bless them. Is this where you are at? The person who hates you, dislikes you, you are to forgive them, love them and bless them today. If they are hungry you are to take them something to eat. If they are sick you are to pray for them. If they have no money and you have some, then take it to them. We must be able to bless others so that God’s complete love can be revealed through us in accordance to the Word of God. Are you truly blessing others? Can you truly comfort the one who hates you? It is very difficult and hard to do. But we must do this to live according to the Word. God does not command us to do anything that we are not able to do. He commands us to do things that we are able. Individually you may say that you cannot do it. “I a weak.” “I am not that kind of person.” “God you know how I am.” God does know you very well. He knows you all too well. God knows me very well. God knows me too well. But still He commands us to bless them. “Yes, with you heart, your mind, your desire, you cannot bless them.” But, in whom are we to do so? In Christ. In God. We are to bless those in the will of the Father. This is a mature faith. This is living by faith. You must be people who considers other better than yourselves and bless them. Are there still things that you have not been able to forgive? Forgive. Do you still see someone who needs to die for their sins? God does not see it that way. You and I are all sinners worthy of death. But Jesus Christ came and pardoned us. Are you at a point where you are unable to love someone? Love them. You must love so that you can move to the next level. God is telling us to start blessing others. He is telling us to stop dwelling on the past and forgive, love and bless. “Did I not bless you?” He asks. “Am I not with you?” He is telling us to hold onto His hand and to move forward with Him. We must meet Him where He is so that we can go forward with Him. What can we do if we cannot forgive others? What can we do if we are not able to love? Unless we are able to bless others, we will not be able to do anything. Do you not want to receive blessings? If you want to be blessed then bless others. God is now wanting to us to move forward with Him. We must be a people who blesses others to do so. No longer look back. Are you in sin, then get up. Shed it off. Come before God and seek forgiveness. Repent. If there is someone whom you have a hard time loving then force yourself to love them in the beginning. You may think you will do so when you are ready but then you will never be ready. Forcing yourself to love someone moves you to love them. You can never prepare yourself prior to it. It is the same with forgiveness. You cannot bless them as well. Do not be fools. Do not act foolishly. Do not sit down when God is desiring to move forward. May you all be a people who receives all the blessings that God desires to give you as you move forward in your faith. Sermon by Pastor Joy Lee Translation by Miguel Park