The Cross: God's Solution and Invitation to Humanity
Summary
The cross speaks profoundly about the soul of humanity, emphasizing the eternal significance of our souls over our physical bodies. It underscores the importance of our relationship with God, asserting that our connection with Him is paramount. The cross reveals the essence of sin as rebellion against God, not merely as wrongful actions. Sin is a grave matter, and the cross demonstrates God's holiness and the seriousness of sin. It shows that God cannot simply forgive sin with a word; it required the sacrifice of His Son. This act of sacrifice highlights the holiness of God and the heinousness of sin, illustrating that sin is the greatest problem God has ever addressed.
The cross is not just an exposition of sin but a proclamation of God's solution to it. It declares that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. This reconciliation is not just a theoretical concept but a historical event, a public declaration of God's way of dealing with sin. The cross is God's answer to the problem of sin, demonstrating that forgiveness is not a simple act but a profound declaration of God's righteousness.
Moreover, the cross extends an invitation. Unlike Abel's blood, which cries for retribution, the blood of Christ invites us to come to Him. It calls out to those who are weary, burdened, and aware of their failures. The cross offers rest, pardon, and peace with God. It speaks to those who feel unworthy, guilty, and unclean, offering them cleansing and a new start. The cross assures us that God forgives freely and immediately, providing new life and eternal hope.
Key Takeaways:
1. The cross emphasizes the eternal significance of the soul, highlighting that our relationship with God is of utmost importance. It reminds us that while our bodies and worldly possessions are temporary, our souls are eternal and must be prioritized. [16:51]
2. Sin is not merely about wrongful actions but is fundamentally rebellion against God. The cross reveals the seriousness of sin, showing that it is a breach of our relationship with God and a defiance of His holiness. [20:23]
3. God's forgiveness is not a simple act; it required the sacrifice of His Son. The cross demonstrates that God's holiness and justice necessitate a profound solution to the problem of sin, which is the greatest challenge God has ever addressed. [24:15]
4. The cross is a public declaration of God's solution to sin, showing that reconciliation with God is possible through Christ. It is a historical event that proclaims God's righteousness and His way of dealing with sin. [32:21]
5. The cross extends an invitation to those who are weary, burdened, and aware of their failures. It offers rest, pardon, and peace with God, assuring us that God forgives freely and provides new life and eternal hope. [49:08]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [16:09] - The Soul's Eternal Significance
- [17:26] - The Value of the Soul
- [18:12] - Relationship with God
- [19:36] - The Essence of Sin
- [21:14] - God's Holiness and Justice
- [23:19] - The Problem of Sin
- [24:15] - The Necessity of the Cross
- [25:23] - The Chief End of Man
- [28:04] - The Cross as Proclamation
- [29:28] - God's Solution to Sin
- [32:21] - The Cross as Public Declaration
- [36:29] - The Cross as Invitation
- [40:01] - Invitation to the Weary
- [49:08] - Rest and Pardon in Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 3:25-26
2. 2 Corinthians 5:19
3. Matthew 11:28
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Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, what does the cross reveal about the eternal significance of the soul? How does this relate to our relationship with God? [16:51]
2. How does the sermon describe the essence of sin, and why is it considered a rebellion against God rather than just wrongful actions? [19:36]
3. What does the sermon say about the necessity of the cross for God's forgiveness? Why couldn't God simply forgive sin with a word? [24:15]
4. How does the cross serve as a public declaration of God's solution to sin, according to the sermon? [32:21]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In Romans 3:25-26, Paul speaks of God setting forth Christ as a propitiation. How does this passage help us understand the seriousness of sin and the necessity of the cross? [21:28]
2. 2 Corinthians 5:19 mentions reconciliation. How does the sermon explain the concept of reconciliation through the cross, and why is it significant for our relationship with God? [29:28]
3. The sermon describes the cross as an invitation to those who are weary and burdened. How does Matthew 11:28 reflect this invitation, and what does it mean for those who feel unworthy or guilty? [49:08]
4. The sermon emphasizes that the cross is not just about forgiveness but also about God's righteousness. How does this understanding affect our view of God's character and justice? [32:53]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current relationship with God. How does the sermon challenge you to prioritize your soul and your connection with Him over worldly possessions and concerns? [16:51]
2. Consider the ways you might be rebelling against God in your life. What steps can you take to restore your relationship with Him and align your actions with His holiness? [19:36]
3. The sermon highlights the gravity of sin and the necessity of the cross. How does this understanding impact your view of forgiveness and the sacrifices made for your salvation? [24:15]
4. The cross is described as a public declaration of God's solution to sin. How can you share this message of reconciliation and hope with others in your community? [32:21]
5. The invitation of the cross is extended to those who are weary and burdened. In what areas of your life do you need to accept this invitation for rest and peace? How can you practically seek this rest in your daily routine? [49:08]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt unworthy or guilty. How does the assurance of God's forgiveness and the promise of a new start through the cross encourage you to move forward? [49:08]
7. The sermon speaks of the cross offering new life and eternal hope. What specific changes can you make in your life to embrace this new life and live with a renewed sense of purpose and hope? [52:27]
Devotional
Day 1: The Eternal Value of the Soul
The cross emphasizes the eternal significance of the soul, reminding us that our relationship with God is of utmost importance. While our physical bodies and worldly possessions are temporary, our souls are eternal and must be prioritized. This perspective challenges us to evaluate what we truly value in life and to consider how our daily choices reflect the eternal nature of our souls. The cross serves as a profound reminder that our connection with God is the most important relationship we can cultivate, as it has eternal implications. [16:51]
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you prioritize your relationship with God today, acknowledging the eternal value of your soul over temporary worldly pursuits?
Day 2: Sin as Rebellion Against God
Sin is not merely about wrongful actions but is fundamentally rebellion against God. The cross reveals the seriousness of sin, showing that it is a breach of our relationship with God and a defiance of His holiness. This understanding of sin calls us to a deeper awareness of how our actions and attitudes can distance us from God. Recognizing sin as rebellion helps us to see the gravity of our choices and the need for genuine repentance and reconciliation with God. [20:23]
"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4, ESV)
Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you may be rebelling against God. How can you seek His forgiveness and realign your heart with His will today?
Day 3: The Cost of Forgiveness
God's forgiveness is not a simple act; it required the sacrifice of His Son. The cross demonstrates that God's holiness and justice necessitate a profound solution to the problem of sin, which is the greatest challenge God has ever addressed. This truth highlights the immense cost of our forgiveness and the depth of God's love for us. Understanding the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross should lead us to a greater appreciation of God's grace and a desire to live in a way that honors His sacrifice. [24:15]
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." (Ephesians 1:7, ESV)
Reflection: How does understanding the cost of your forgiveness change the way you view God's grace? What steps can you take to live in gratitude for His sacrifice today?
Day 4: Reconciliation Through the Cross
The cross is a public declaration of God's solution to sin, showing that reconciliation with God is possible through Christ. It is a historical event that proclaims God's righteousness and His way of dealing with sin. This reconciliation is not just a theological concept but a transformative reality that invites us into a restored relationship with God. The cross assures us that no matter how far we have strayed, God has made a way for us to return to Him through Jesus. [32:21]
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on your relationship with God. How can you embrace the reconciliation offered through the cross and live as a new creation in Christ today?
Day 5: The Invitation of the Cross
The cross extends an invitation to those who are weary, burdened, and aware of their failures. It offers rest, pardon, and peace with God, assuring us that God forgives freely and provides new life and eternal hope. This invitation is a call to lay down our burdens and find rest in the grace and love of Christ. The cross speaks to those who feel unworthy, guilty, and unclean, offering them cleansing and a new start. [49:08]
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29, ESV)
Reflection: What burdens are you carrying today that you need to bring to the cross? How can you accept Christ's invitation to find rest and peace in Him?
Quotes
The cross puts tremendous emphasis upon that he came there not in order that our bodies might be healed not in order that we might be better fed or clothed or have might more have more information and knowledge no no he came to save the soul the son of men is come to seek and to save that which is lost and what is lost is man's Soul. [00:16:51]
The most important thing to men according to this preaching of the Cross is a man's relationship to God oh I dealt last Sunday night with men's relationship to man and that's very important but you see the message of the Cross as I showed then was this that a man's relationship to his fellow men will never be right unless his relationship to God is first of all put right. [00:18:12]
The thing that makes sin sin or if you prefer it the very essence of sin is the Rebellion against God is the breaking of a relationship with God that is the real meaning of sin now the world doesn't know that but that is the great message of the Cross we tend to think of sin in terms of actions and of acts bad acts wrong things which we've done or wrong things which we've thought or wrong things which we have said but my dear friend that isn't the serious thing about Sin. [00:19:36]
The cross answers the question he dies upon the cross because God hates sin and because God's holy wroth is upon Sin Sin cannot be played with by God his holy nature prohibits it sin is the most serious matter that has ever entered into the whole universe let me put it like this to you the problem of sin I say is the greatest problem that even almighty God has ever had to deal with. [00:23:19]
God cannot forgive sin just by saying I forgive if he could he would have do you imagine that God would ever have sent his only begotten son to that cross if he could have forgiven the sin of men in any other way would God have abandoned his son to that and poured out upon him the vials of his wrath would he have have allowed his only begotten dearly beloved Son to cry out in agony and to say my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me and endure the agony and The Thirst and the shame would he ever have allowed it if there was any other way there wasn't. [00:24:15]
The cross is a public declaration the cross is an historic event it isn't an idea it isn't a theory the cross is a public event it is something that happened on a cross called Calvary nearly 2,000 years ago historic public evident visible the whole world knows about it God has set it forth he's made a pronouncement he's called attention to it. [00:32:21]
The cross is a mighty declaration and what it says is this he's a propitiation in other words God on the cross was punishing sin he said he would he's done it God has always said that sin is to be punished that his holy wrath is upon it and that he cannot deal with sin in any other terms and he has done exactly what he says on the cross he is doing it publicly there he is once and for all at the central point of History pouring out his wroth upon the sins of men in the body of his own son. [00:34:29]
The cross is an event the cross is an historical event as I've been saying it is a set getting forth in public of this great Act of God but thank God it doesn't stop there it is an appeal it is an invitation it asks us to listen as we value our own Immortal Souls you know the Old Testament prophets had seen something of this they hadn't seen it very clearly they were not meant to and they couldn't they saw it a far off they saw the sufferings of Christ and the glory that was to follow. [00:36:29]
The cross the blood of sprinkling speaks tonight to people that nothing else in the whole universe speaks to what do you mean says someone well I'll tell you who does philosophy speak to take your great textbooks on philosophy tonight who do they speak to do they speak to you my friend do any follow them were you listening to Professor AJR on the television a few weeks back could you follow him tell does your philosopher speak your atheistical philosopher he speaks only to the wise he speaks only to those who've Got Brains and understanding who can follow his reason and his logic and his terminology he doesn't speak to anybody else. [00:40:01]
The invitation is too such weary warm have you been engaged in this moral struggle do you feel that you're a failure do you feel the whole thing's hopeless do you despise yourself kick yourself metaphorically and feel you're no good weary forlorn tired and on top of it all sad and miserable nothing can comfort you the pleasures of the world mock you they don't give you anything life has disappointed you and you're sad and you're miserable and unhappy and on top of it all you have a sense of guilt within you your conscience nags at you and condemns you raises up your past and puts it before you and you know that you're unworthy you know that you're a failure you know there's no excuse you're guilty. [00:49:08]
The cross it comes to such a person and it is to such a person above all others that it brings its gracious and its glorious invitation what does it say to you listen my dear friend I'm not speaking to self-satisfied self-righteous persons at this moment I've already spoken to you and I trust that you've seen yourself in all the horror of your self-deception I'm speaking to those who are on the ground gring in their utter helplessness and with a guilt and a sense of uncleanness and shame having lost your Chastity your Purity your morality are everything there you are listen you are a far off and the cross speaks to you with sympathy. [00:49:33]
The blood of sprinkling says that the Son of God has borne all your punishment that everything that stood between God and forgiving you has been removed that God forgives you everything freely and immediately let not let not conscience make you linger or a fitness fundly dream all the fitness he requireth is to see your need of him this he gives you is the spirit's Rising being the cross announces a free gift of Pardon and forgiveness reconciliation and restoration and all you need new life in Christ and an eternal hope and all at once and it all comes from this blessed person whose body was broken and whose blood began to flow on the cross on calvary's Hill. [00:53:08]
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