Gospel Outreach International

Gordon is reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 23 to 25.

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:23-25

So that we are going to look at the power of the cross. Now, I seem to remember some years ago hearing somebody say the heart of the Christian gospel is the cross and I believe that is true. It’s the central pillar but the Christian gospel is actually the heart of God for God loves us and I’ll be mentioning that again. There are many hymns, God loved the world of sinners lost and ruined by the fall. What riches in that phrase The one that we used to often use as we went round as a young team is there’s power in the blood, power in the blood. We loved these old hymns and they expressed the central theme of our message which was Christ and his death on the cross.

Now if we stop and think there are things, three things that should be self-evident. If, and I’ve put a big if in here, we are actually honest with ourselves. First, the failure of man requires the cross. And if you want the biblical word that is often used is sin. Our sin, our failure, our inability to come up to the standard that God has sent. It demands the cross. The heart of God requires the cross because of his love and justice. We often see him that talks about how mercy and justice met at the cross. And the heart of God in recognizing the need provides the answer. Everything that we come through the cross comes from the heart of God and we must recognize that because sometimes it comes across as something cold and indifferent.

We notice the heart of God for John 3:16 is the well-known verse

for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. John 3:16

And he recognizing the need is that you go back into the Old Testament as well as the New and you’ll find prophecies in relation to Christ’s coming and His life, His death and resurrection. One of the telling verses in Acts 2:23 is,

This man was delivered up by the pre-determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God Acts 2:23a

In other words, everything was pre-planned because God recognized the problem from the beginning. These things we should always bear in mind. One other thing that should be remembered is that the cross is the only answer for our failure and sin and its consequence. We’ll mention the consequence a little bit later. So then we must ask this question, what is the power of the cross and how does it demonstrate its power?

Well, before we seek this answer, there is one other item that we should be aware of. We live in a day in age, and that’s not unusual because that has been the same right down through Church history, the enemies of the Gospel scoff and ridicule, and notice this little two-word, three-word, the great wonders that flow from the Cross. And sadly, within the broad boundaries of so-called Christianity, There are deniers of the need of the cross. Much of modern music doesn’t touch on the cross. And I keep saying God save us from a bloodless religion. It is essential.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, Romans 1:22

Romans 1v22, which we think of these people professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and also the difference between man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom in our reading. While on the subject of man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom, the place that the crucifixion took place is the place of the skull. One of my friends said it’s the place where human reasoning finished. we have to recognize that we can never fathom by our reasoning the wonders of the cross. Or if you like the way I put it, the school which is obviously an empty vessel demonstrates an empty headedness for the deniers of the truth of the Gospel. Now it’s no accident that this is so. I think that’s all part of the Divine Plan.

The facts of the crucifixion of course can be found in all four Gospels. There are slight variations for each writer had a line of thought he wished to express, but all under the divine guidance of the Holy spirit. I know some people have challenged this idea that they seem to contradict, they don’t contradict. It’s like we were used to explaining in the open air. You can put four sides to a football field and put somebody on and they will observe incidents on the field in a different way, each one. Same incident but a different aspect. And the awesome suffering that the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior undertook is also expressed elsewhere.

Two examples is Psalm 22, of course very familiar to most of us, and Isaiah 52 and 53. But one of the things that I find when I read Isaiah 53 under the anointing of the Spirit, he tells us of the worst kind of suffering of Christ. Remember, he was perfect in every way, but Isaiah reminds us that God laid on him the iniquity of us all. Now I want to use a phrase here and I want you to listen carefully because it sometimes gets me into trouble. Christ didn’t just die. The Bible says the soul or the person who sins dies. Christ was without sin. He was perfect in every way. Even God under examination declared this is my son in whom I find my delight and he never finds his delight in sin. So he couldn’t just die. It was a voluntary sacrifice. But part of that voluntary sacrifice which is horrifying to a holy soul, we don’t understand this, we’ve never been holy and this side of glory we will never be perfectly holy. But But when God laid on him our sin, that suffering must have been horrendous. And that’s the period of darkness on the cross.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Paul goes a little stronger. He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. Now I can remember many years ago some of the brethren used to say, “Oh, it means a sin offering.” It doesn’t mean a sin offering. The word isn’t there. He was made sin.

He was made like unto us, so that we, one day could be like him. That’s one of the miracles of the cross, that. But that’s the truth of the matter. He was made like us, so that we, one day could be like him. Just a quick summary. All have sinned.

Were all aware of that and we fall short of Gods standard. And people, when we say that, immediately go to the Ten Commandments. I don’t. I go straight to look at the character of Christ. That’s Gods standard. And it’s higher and more noble than just the Ten Commandments.

But still God loves us. And God sent the Lord Jesus Christ to bear our punishment. This is God’s wisdom and I’m stressing this again and again. This is God’s wisdom, not mans.

But what’s it’s power? In our reading it talks about the power and the wisdom. What does it accomplish? And in it’s accomplishments we find it’s power. And I’m going to list a number of things. It’s not a definitive list. There would be opportunity for you to come in with some other things. There might be some you’re not quite happy with, but well see.

First thing is, I think, the power is demonstrated in the miracle of salvation. Now, salvation means to be delivered from danger. The danger every person faces is at the end of a Christless life, the judgment, the lake of fire. Now that’s what everybody faces because that’s what everybody deserves.

But when we cry to God, we are saved. And that transforms us so that it is no longer a problem because we know that we are going to glory. Theres a great power in that change around. Redemption. You’re all well aware of the teaching. I hope that he who commits sin is a slave to sin. Now the Greek word redemption actually means to buy out of a slave market with the intention of setting a person free. Slaves to sin, and here is the power that was sufficient in the cross and in the blood that was shed there to buy us from the slave market is sin and set us free. Free to walk in fellowship with God. That is a mighty miracle.

In a sense, as we are, it isn’t natural. As we were intended to be, it is natural. And it’s a miracle of turning things around. And that’s a tremendous miracle. And it’s a great power.

Justification. This is what I love. Justification. I love it. You know, we don’t need to fear death for a simple reason, and that’s this justification. How many times that I’ve done it and I’ve heard other people trying to explain it to children, it means just as if I’d never sinned. And that’s a tremendous miracle. It really is because it is true. It’s a legal word. Your’re set free from the court without a stain on your character.

Now in some of our courts, they get set free because they say theres not enough evidence. There is plenty of evidence of our guilt, but the blood removes that perfectly so that we stand before God justified, just as if we’d never sinned. So that if we drop dead right at this second we will go straight from here into His presence because our sin is dealt with. That’s what justification means. It’s rich beyond our imagination and that to me is a demonstration of the mighty power that flows through from the cross. Then protection, protection, and Im leaving that one. You have to have something to talk about.

Eternal life. Eternal life. How often do you hear people say that well have go to eternal life? We don’t go to eternal life, we have eternal life. The moment we become a born-again believer we have eternal life. It’s as simple as that. That’s a miracle. That’s powerful beyond anything a man can do. All flows out of the cross. Number six. For the first time the cross makes the message of God universal. Old Testament, specifically the Jews with the odd Gentile thrown in from time to time, except Jonah where he had a whole city of Gentiles come to know God. But this Gospel is for whosoever will. I like the old authorised version on that word whosoever. Whoever doesn’t seem to have the same ring.

Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, Jew or Gentile, English or Scots, Welsh or Irish, even Russian or Ukrainian, if they call upon the name of the Lord they are redeemed. They have justification, they have Gods protection and they have eternal wealth. I’m not going to comment on the next one because I’m sure youll want to comment on it and add to it.

It divides and unites, and I’ll leave it to you. But to enjoy this power that flows from the cross in the ways we’ve been looking at something has to happen. We need to have the faith, we need to have repentance, and we need a call upon the name of the Lord. whosoever should call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Now all who do that experience this power of the Gospel and the power of the Cross, but that’s only the beginning. Because through the indwelling Holy Spirit day by day until we stand perfect and complete in the presence of our Lord. Theres power for you and that’s the power of the cross and the gospel.

Bible References

• 1 Corinthians 1:23-25
• 1 Corinthians 1
• John 3:16
• Acts 2:23
• Romans 1:22
• Psalm 22
• Isaiah 52
• Isaiah 53
• 2 Corinthians 5:21