Pastor Josh
We're going to be talking today from Luke chapter 9. Before we get there though, I want to tell you a little story. We got dawnless this weekend. I was thinking about our men's camp, the Horde, that happened in November. And I was thinking about on the Saturday morning of the Horde this year, we took a hike up Newlands Forest. And what we did was we said to, we had three teams of people. Some of you men will remember this. It got a little contentious. It's unlike us to be competitive. And so two of the teams, there were three teams, and we gave them instructions that they had to find this little bottle. And in the bottle, there were some further instructions. And so two of the teams went up and turned right, and they found the bottle, and there was a little bit of a fight over that, but we're not going to bring up old memories now. Don't worry. But the other team had the same instructions, and they went up, and then they turned left. Up in Newlands Forest, yes. Congratulations, the team who turned left. The problem was the bottle was not left. It was right. And so what happened was, in total, this hike was meant to be about three or four kilometers, up and down. The red team, I believe it was, headed up the mountain, turned left, and took about a 12-kilometer hike to nowhere. They were very, very happy by the time they came back. they were chanting I said gentlemen you were lost but I'm glad you had a good time and so they went all the way up around and we had to ring them and say you are nowhere close to where you're meant to be come back and so I had to wait like an extra hour for them it was great but it got me thinking about how we can we can sometimes even as believers get the same instructions as someone else, but we end up going off in the wrong direction because we don't know the way that we're meant to be going. And it's interesting that the early church, the disciples, Christians, before they were called Christians, were first called followers of the way. That was the name that they called themselves. We're followers of the way. What way? What way were they following? And I want to show you which way the followers of Jesus in the early church understood that they were following. So we're going to open up together in Luke chapter 9. And we're going to read from verse 21 through to 25. Verse 21. Let me read this and then just give context. It says, Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. Not to tell what? Luke 9 just before was the story we talked about last week in church. If you missed it, go ahead on the YouTube page and watch it. Peter has just had this revelation that Jesus is the Messiah. And so at this point, Jesus is saying, don't tell everyone yet. Wait until I've died, been resurrected. Then you can tell them. But it continues. It says, and he said, the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. And he must be killed. and on the third day be raised to life. Then he said to them all, whoever wants to be my disciple, not whoever wants to attend my services or head to the temple, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit their soul or their very self? I think this translation says. So what was the way that these disciples understood that they were following? The way they understood was that they said we are following the way of the cross. The way of the cross. And that's what I want to talk to us about today in the title of my message is the way of the cross. That's the way that Jesus invites us to follow. If you are used to a fuzzy feeling Christianity and a nice tickle on the ears, I would encourage you to put your seatbelts on today. Because I believe God's got a message for some people in the room today that can bring life to you. But we must engage with it. And let me also say, if you are new to faith, if you are a new Christian, if you don't consider yourself a believer in Jesus just now, then what I'd say is lean in for this. But I think this message is going to be more for those who would say, I believe in Jesus. I'm a Jesus follower. But I know God has a word for you as well. We're going to come to some of what God has for you. But I would encourage you, come through in this series. God's going to speak in power. God's going to speak. So, I want to talk about the cross to start with in a historical context. We live in a, what I'd say, like a Christianized nation context. We understand and are very familiar with things around the Christian faith. But I think even in art and films and different places, the cross has had to be sanitized because it is too gruesome for us to grasp. Let me talk about the cross in a historical context. The act of crucifixion first came up with by the Persian Empire and then adopted by the Romans. And the Romans would use the cross primarily to crush rebellion. They would stop rebels. We even see this in my translation of the Bible at least. It says that there were two rebels on the two sides of Jesus when he was crucified. And so Roman governors or officials had three ways in which they were allowed to crush rebellion. The first was that they could burn someone alive. The second was that they could throw someone in with lions, get a crowd around, and make people watch them be torn apart by lions. The third was considered often the favorite choice of crushing rebellion, which was crucifixion. Because crucifixion was by far the most gruesome and grotesque. The cross, again, historical outside of the story of Jesus for a moment, what would they do? Let's just talk about what would the Romans do. First of all, much like with Jesus, they would whip the person. Cat of nine tails. What did that mean? They had pieces of metal or bone or different things. They would whip and effectively skin alive the individual before they would carry the cross. Because then they would force individuals to take up the beam of the cross, wearing a sign telling them what the crimes that they'd committed were against the state. and as they carried this then when they arrived and again I almost want to say forgive me for the gruesome nature of this but I think we have been so desensitized as we build up to Easter I just want to help us to understand what actually happened here to Jesus that when when they in most kind of films maybe maybe you've seen like clips or you've seen the film The Passion of the Christ this is a sanitized version of what happened because because what would happen in crucifixion is that we see the films where often they would, in the films or the pictures, you put nails through the front of the feet here. In recent years, archaeological evidence has shown that oftentimes you'd be much more likely to put nails through the heels and put it either side of the beam. Why did they do that? Because in the films, we see Jesus wearing a cloth, but that would not have been the case. They would have been naked when they were crucified in order to humiliate them. And so that position of their feet both is more painful and was more humiliating. And so how someone would die on the cross was by asphyxiation, which means that they couldn't breathe anymore. And this would normally take days. And so what would happen is the nail that has been driven through the ankles or the heel, you have to lift yourself up. You can feel the bone again being crushed. and so they're pushing themselves up to try and breathe. And the final gruesome detail I want to show you today is that oftentimes there is historical accounts that you would see birds then would come and peck at the fleshy parts of an individual, be that the eyes or the genitals. So I want us to not be desensitized to the cross of Jesus as we go into this series. Because you can sing and sometimes we do it. We show up in church and we've been so familiarized with the cross that we miss out on just what he did for you and I. We think the cross is a nice symbol and we forget the torture weapon it was. And so Jesus, he went, and again, we're going to talk through this series. The blood that was poured out on that cross when Jesus went saved us. Jesus could have gone at any time in human history and he chose to go when the torture would be the greatest. And he went for you. So that you could be free and with him eternally. That's good news everybody. That's good news. Here's the interesting bit. Let's just throw up Luke 9.23. Given the context that I've just given you about the cross, and Jesus' disciples know this, and they would normally put the men who were being crucified in the kind of hubs or transport routes so that everyone going by these people could see them, and people would stand around, and they would throw insults at them, and it was a horrifying scene. and Jesus then says to his disciples, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross. Imagine hearing that. No context for what Jesus is about to do yet. One might think this is a grotesque invitation. You might even be forgiven for thinking that Jesus' invitation in this point is mean and strange and horrific. Why would I take up my cross? And the reason I want us to understand this today is because when, let me kind of spoiler alert a little bit. the end result of taking up your cross is going to be life and joy and the only true life that you can ever step into is on the other side of this so but why so what is it that Jesus wants to show us about taking up our cross that's going to bring life to us see the cross of Jesus and my cross and your cross have very different purposes let's start with Jesus's cross the cross of Christ when he went to the cross, dealt with sin, sickness, and death. And it gave us the gift of salvation. That is eternal life with Christ. That when he went to the cross and he died and he'd done nothing wrong, no sin, nothing. And yet he took not only the physical torture, but also the separation from the Father. He took all of the sin of the world on him. And he chose to go. He chose to go. But our cross has a different purpose. You and I, as we are invited to follow Jesus, we have a different kind of cross. And the cross that we carry, your cross, is for your flesh. The Bible uses this terminology, your flesh. It's like my physical, my desires, my selfishness, the things I want for me that is going to push me forward. And Paul even writes in the book of Galatians, he says, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I now live by faith in the son of God who died for me, gave himself for me. So what's he saying? He's saying, when you choose to follow Jesus, and Jesus says, if you want to be my disciple, you must pick up your cross. Why? Because the only true resurrected life, the only true life for you, let's even throw Luke 9, 24, 25 back up there for a moment. He says, whoever wants to save their life will lose it. but whoever loses their life for me will save it what good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit their soul some of us we've been trying to make it in the world we've been trying to push forward my dream push forward my desires push forward my hopes And when they are not centered around the person of Jesus, and when they are not kingdom orientated, let's throw these verses back up here. What does it say? Luke 9, 24. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. Jesus is saying to us today, if you try and save and keep hold of the things that you desire, and some of you know this, you've tried. You've tried to make it on your own. and and where's he got you where the the path it's it's like the men going up trying to find this small bottle at the horde and they went in completely the wrong direction gents don't worry I got you I knew there would be a preaching allergy in here somewhere your walk was not in vain but you're going completely the wrong direction and yet Jesus says whoever loses their life for me will save it let me say it this way your soul and spirit are crying out for you to crucify your flesh your soul your mind will and emotions your your spirit the part of you that is connected and close to God they're crying out for you to put aside the things of the flesh because they they will do nothing for you every attempt that you make in your own self to build your own life. It may seem good in a moment. It may feel like a sugar rush in a moment. But long term, you will see that it is not a foundation from which you can build your life. But the truth of God's word, the promises of who he is, then you can build a life, a resurrected life. But in order to access the resurrected life of Jesus, you first must live the crucified life. You need to crucify your flesh. You need to lay down the things of this world in order to pursue the things of the kingdom. Let me say it this way. The only true life for you is found in the crucified life. The only true life. When you lay it aside and say, see, I think again, some of us might have missed this when we said yes to Jesus. We were saying yes to a life fully devoted to him. It's his. it's all his and so why why am i why am i bringing this message today what is it that's stirring in me i want to kind of bring you into my thoughts as i'm studying the word and i'm praying over this message i was saying to luke earlier i didn't necessarily plan to go in this direction but as i'm praying over the message and i'm praying over the text i'm feeling stirred and i think i'm feeling stirred because it's something that I'm seeing in some of my friends. I think about friends that I have in different countries around the world that I stay in contact with. I think about some of my friends here in South Africa, even maybe people within our own church, all Jesus followers. And I see something that I feel like is lacking. Not across the board, but in certain places. And so here's, I just want to open, I want to encourage you, open up your heart to maybe there's something here for me. Are you ready? Because I, and I've done this and I still do this, but I think I do it less than I used to do. But one of the things that I want us to grow away from as a body, as a church, is when we make a commitment to do something, and three months later, we're not to be found. When we say, yeah, I'm in, and then life starts happening, and then my commitment goes away. I've used the analogy in different times, the idea of having a glass jaw. I take one hit and it shatters. And so what I want to talk, why am I talking about, why do I think I felt led to this concept of the way of the cross? I think it's because one of the things I think is lacking in some of us today particularly I think in a generation that's coming up hungry to follow Jesus excited about the gospel but one thing I think is lacking is resilience resilience because but why do I think that's there I think sometimes we can have a teaching of the Christian faith that I heard a preacher say recently he said if if the cross of Jesus bores me, Christianity becomes about me. So if I'm not obsessed with the cross, and then if he carried his cross, then I'm going to carry mine, then it becomes about me. And listen, like, you guys, you know, one of the things I talk about in our church is if you stay around for three, four months, you're going to have the diet, like a good diet of the word. We're going to teach on different things. I could give a thousand caveats to some of what I'm going to talk about today, because I want you to grow in emotional health. I believe in that. God's convicted me around that. I want you to grow in different things. But there's something about resilience that I think is revealed to you when you walk the way of the cross. When you learn to embrace the cross of Jesus, and then your cross as a result, It causes you to have a different kind of understanding of why we follow Jesus. I even heard a preacher say that some of us are rebuking things that God promised. We're trying to resist that which he invites us to. What is the invitation? Let's open up. Are you guys still okay? I know I'm giving it. Some of you look like you're a bit shell-shocked this morning. look like you said hey which church should I step into lean in lean in God's got life for us today family there's life over the other side of this we've got to lean into it because I think there's a revelation of Jesus he wants to give us today you you will know that we God has revealed to us as a church a revelation a fresh understanding of the lion of Judah the lion it's even you know you drive up to our church, you see the lion everywhere. It's something about the power, the authority, the boldness of the lion. And so I've built my life in the way I have because Jesus has revealed himself to me as a lion. But I want to take another part of the scripture where we see the lion today. So let's look together at Revelation chapter 5. Revelation 5 verse 5 and 6. It says, Then one of the elders said to me, do not weep. See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, that's Jesus, by the way, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. So John, it says, then John says he looks. He goes to look for the lion. He says, then I saw a lamb. Huh. So the lion of Judah, Jesus, the lion, my pastor always teaches that he is the lion, but he took on the role of the lamb. But when John looked for the lion, he saw a lamb. Because there is glory in the slain lamb. I want to talk a little bit about the lamb of God this morning. We're getting into some stuff today in church. I hope you're ready for another hour. I've got some stuff to say. I'm joking. I'm joking. Bring your snacks on these Sundays. Come on. The lamb of God who was slain. When John looks for the lion, he saw a lamb. Why? Because they are not distinctive people. It is one person, Jesus. And so let me say it this way. If you can only identify with the lion, but not with the slain lamb, you will never understand suffering. Because you want Jesus to be an avenger who always gets you through stuff. But if you can't understand the lamb that was slain, then when suffering or trials or challenge comes your way, you'll start rebuking the very things that Jesus promised. And let me even say it this way. So 2 Corinthians 3 verse 18, it says this, and we all who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory are what? Being transformed into his image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. if you are being transformed into his image what is his image a slain lamb a slain lamb let's go back to the revelation verses revelation 5 i think it's 11 12 somewhere around there yeah what what do they say about the lamb i love this then i looked and i heard the voice of many angels numbering thousands upon thousands tens 10 000 times 10 000 they encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and glory and praise. Worthy is the lamb who was slain. Jesus offered himself up so that we could be free. He gave his own life so that we could have life. But then Jesus teaches us, take up your cross daily. So if we are being transformed into the image of God, what is the image of God? Yes, it's the lion. But listen, friends, it is the lamb that was slain. And some of us, we need what's going to grow resilience in us when we understand that we are being transformed into a lamb that was slain, that's the image. And so let me say it this way, because this is all kind of like, you feel like you're a weird philosophical lesson on talking about strange concepts. Let me kind of bring it down to practical ideas. What does it look like to be transformed into the image of a lamb that was slain? Friends, if we are tired following Jesus, that's the way of the cross. If you're checking out of following Jesus because you're tired, you've missed who you're meant to become more like. I don't think that on the way of the cross as he's walking the streets of Jerusalem, that he was saying, man, I just feel really great today. Those of us who are in pain, for Jesus. Do you know the Lord promises you're going to be blessed if they persecute you because of me. Some of us, we're separated from family members because of Jesus. And I want to say to you, hey, way of the cross, keep going. He's going to take care of you. It's not fuzzy Christianity. This is the way of the cross. Some of us, we're going to lose father, mother, brother, sister because of him. We're the cross. But the resurrected life is, let me even show you Romans 8, 17. It says, now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed, which one first? We share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I want to see a generation that doesn't just want to pursue wealth and riches and all these things. I want to see them pursue the glory of God. I want us to be hungry for glory. Hungry for glory. Not just a fuzzy feeling in church. Not just a nice small group. Glory. Why do we do these things? It's because we think if we facilitate environments where God changes us and we embrace the cross of Jesus, we are going to become more like Him and experience God's glory. And friends, there is nothing like the glory of God. And I think we're in a time when God wants to bring about His glory in us, through us, in the earth. He wants to do something new. He wants to change and transform us. Why? So that because we are going to be experiencing the glory of the Lord forever and ever and ever. And if our eyes are on anything else, we're missing it. But let me say it this way. The cross and glory are forever married. What do you think we're going to be worshipping Jesus for in heaven? The lamb that was slain. Worthy is the lamb. There is going to be a resounding song about the lamb for billions of years. About one moment. Because, catch the revelation. Because the lamb that was slain then ascended to glory. The lamb, the suffering led to glory. Is it tough for you just now? Follow the way of the cross. Don't think that we got in. I talked about it last week. Don't think that we're just here for church, church games, this and that. So and so offended me. are you kidding me? it's the way of the cross we forgive we fix our eyes back on the lamb let's have some resilience in this generation let's have this bit between my teeth that says you will not move me off the cross you will not take my focus away from the Messiah the lamb that was slain worthy is the lamb but if we spend our time missing his cross, then you will miss yours. If you don't grasp what he's done for you at the cross, then you're going to miss that he is the one who is leading you in. So let me try and get to the end of my message. I have a question for you. I don't want to ask you to just consider this question. What in your flesh needs crucifying? What in your flesh, is it the pride that you feel? You just feel it flaring up and you've got to take it back. What does Jesus say? He invites us to daily carry. What is it that you need to put back on that cross and say, no, no, no. You will not take my attention from Jesus. Someone say recently, what is sin? it's any time that I'm okay with taking my eyes off Jesus. If I'm happy to move my focus to something else, that's when I sin. What do I need to put on that cross? Say, you will not have me. You will not have me pride. I'm nailing you to the cross. You will not have me lust. I'm nailing you to the cross. You will not have me fear. You will not have me control. You will not have me because my eyes are focused on the one, the lamb that was slain. You will not have me. My attention is with him. So what in your flesh, what in your earthly, fleshly desires, what sinful nature in you do you need to crucify? Maybe it's selfish ambition. What do you need to stick on there? Say, Josh, I'm doing it for the kingdom. How many times have I heard that while someone is drifting away from the church? Drifting away from the bride whilst claiming that their motives are for God and you find in four or five years time, where are they? Nail it to the cross. What in your flesh needs crucifying? I feel this is a time where God is wanting to prune some things in our church family. What in you needs pruning? The blood overcomes. The blood is the thing that washes clean. The blood sets us free. Next week we're going to be talking about the lamb. It's like that Passover lamb when they went over. Don't preach next week's service. All right, come on. Stay focused. you need to put that flesh up there every day so let me finish with this some of us as i said at the start you're like first time maybe in church or like this feels quite heavy intense talking about me crucifying my flesh sounds a bit mental i get it and and actually it's interesting when you when you read the scriptures there's about different times when Jesus redefines what it was to be a disciple. The first definition of disciple was Jesus said to his disciples, come and see. Very low bar of commitment, but that was discipleship at that point. Come and see. Next invitation, Jesus says, follow me. Again, just following. And it continues on to this point of Jesus saying, carry your cross. So maybe today you say, it sounds beyond me. And that's okay. Because maybe for you, the message today is come and see. Again, if you're here and you say, let me just come and see over these next six weeks. Great. Just come and see. You're welcome. Come and see who Jesus is. Legenda por Sônia Ruberti