The Order of the Cross
by Dan MacLeod
April 9, 2025 · New Life Terre Haute (New Life Fellowship)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15, Acts 2, Acts 2:38, Colossians 2:14-15, Isaiah 59:2, Romans 5, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Colossians 1:19-20, Luke 22:41-44, Matthew 16:24, Romans 6:13, James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:6, John 13, John 12, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Romans 8:28-29

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/dan-macleod--the-order-of-the-cross
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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So in the, in light of the time that we are in, and with Easter approaching, we're going to, we're going to discuss the cross tonight, the order of the cross. The cross of Christ is central to Christianity and its impact on the world is undisputed. Its event marked the beginning of the Anno Domini, which is AD calendar, and that simply means the year of our Lord. Now, we don't distinguish that in the writing of our date, but when you write 2025, every time the date 2025 is written, it is a recognition of the cross. It is a testimony to the life and the work of Jesus Christ. And so, this is because the world took notice of the Lord. There's much to consider about the event that changed the world collectively in us personally. I don't want to spend too much time on this tonight, but when we consider the New Testament,

Hebrews would tell us that the New Covenant was inaugurated or put in place by the death of the testator. That was the death of Jesus Christ. This is why the thief on the cross could profess his faith in an act of humility and surrender to the Lord, and Jesus would say, today you will be with me in paradise. He had not yet died, but at his death the New Covenant is enacted. And so, when Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15 pertaining the gospel, he says it is the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this is consistent through the New Testament. If we go back to the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, this is what Peter preached to them. And sometimes, because we put such strong emphasis on Acts 2 and verse 38, which I think we should, we can sometimes walk away with the misconception that Acts 2 and verse 38 is what Peter

preached on the day of Pentecost. It's not what Peter preached. Peter preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And he preached that because of this, he'd now ascended into heaven, poured out the promise of the Father, which is the Holy Ghost, and he said this is evidence by something that you both see and hear. And it's this, it's the preaching of the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that convicted the hearers to ask the question, what meaneth this, what shall we do? They asked the question, being pricked in their heart, the Bible said. So, they hear the word, the Spirit convicts them, there is this sense where they are compelled by God to respond, but they don't yet understand how does the work of Jesus Christ, what he has accomplished, how does that personally affect my life? And Peter tells them in Acts 2 and verse 38, you've got to repent, be baptized in Jesus' name

for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost as the promise. And so, all of this is made possible because of the cross of Jesus Christ. Now, there are probably, if we took the time, we could parse through the New Testament and find maybe five or six very dominant themes that the Scripture speaks to us of, of what was accomplished through the cross. I want to give you two that I think are very, very important tonight. The first one under the accomplishments of the cross. It is this, victory over sin and saintdom, victory over sin and saint. Paul writes in Colossians 2, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. And I want you to underline, if you've got a pen, you're taking

notes, I want you to underline the word cross there. We're going to come back to this. Paul says, all of the handwriting of ordinances, the law that would subject you to the consequence of sin, the penalty of sin was contrary to you. Jesus took it out of the way by nailing it to his cross. Note verse 15 here, having spoiled, or if you have a newer translation that's not the King James, it probably uses the word triumphed. Having triumphed over principalities and powers, he's talking about demonic forces, spiritual wickedness. He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. I want you to circle that word it, if you've got a pen there. Now maybe draw a line from that circling of it back to the word cross that you underline. This is just a simple application of how Bible study works. Sometimes we read through the

scripture so quickly we don't stop to consider what is it saying. Well, this is what it's saying, is he triumphed over spiritual darkness and the forces of evil in it, in what the cross. This is the subject that Paul is speaking of. What Jesus accomplished on the cross was a victory over sin and Satan. In fact, the scripture said that had the devil knew, had he had known what he was doing, they would not have crucified the Lord. He had no idea, but it is the wisdom of God to take even the works of evil in the agenda of darkness and allow it to play into his master plan. The devil thought the cross was the means by which he would put an end to this one who was causing a stir when in reality the cross was actually the way in which Jesus conquered sin and Satan. This leads us to the second point,

reconciliation to God. I thank God that he has conquered evil, but he did not conquer evil simply for the testimony or the parade of victory. There was a functional purpose and it was that that we could be reconciled to the Lord. Sin is the separating factor between God and man, Isaiah 59 and 2. The Bible says, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. This is the reality that we are all born into. Our sin separates us from God. Paul writes about this many times. It is Romans 5. I have quoted it here in your handout. He says we were reconciled to God through the death of Jesus Christ. This is a frequent theme in all of his letters. I have got some references there in your handout. I did not provide them the whole scripture,

so I do not know if they have it on the screen or not. In 2 Corinthians 5, he says that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. All things are of God. Verse 18, he says, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Verse 19, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses under them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now, this theme is central to Paul's ministry. You can find it woven into almost every letter he writes. Because this is the story of scripture. Now, I like miracles. I think miracles are great to preach about. They're even better to experience. But the miracle is not the ultimate purpose of

the gospel. The ultimate purpose of the gospel is that you might be reconciled to God, that the sin that separates you from the presence of the Lord that has been conquered in the cross would be of made personal effect in your life when you're obedient to the gospel. And now you're reconciled to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the restoration of relationship. Colossians 1 in your handout. Look at this. It pleased the Father that in him, speaking of the man Christ Jesus, should all fullness dwell, having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. I encourage you to go back and underline these two words, all things, all things. Through the blood of the cross, Jesus has reconciled all things to himself. What does this mean? Well, what it means

is that he has not just come to save your soul. And I thank God. I think we have a pastor who does this so well and the strength of this church is evidenced by the teaching that has been here the last 25 years. And what I mean is when you are saved, Jesus does not just want to save your soul. That's the ultimate goal, is that you would be ready to spend eternity with the Lord. But the implication of salvation is so far beyond the eternal state of your soul. He wants to reconcile all things to himself. What's that mean? It means that he wants to reconcile your emotional state to himself. So if you've been beat up and broken by life and you are wearing the effect of negative words spoken over you and an unfortunate upbringing and abuse and trauma that you have endured, he's not just desiring to save your soul and let you live

in misery until you get to heaven. He wants to reconcile your emotions to him. He also wants to reconcile your values and how you make decisions and your money. It's not as simple as saying, well, I'm going to give my 10% ties and then check out on the Lord. No, he wants to get in your brain and reconcile your thinking and rewire your values. So all of a sudden your entire budget, how you make decisions, how you spend your time is under the direction of the Spirit. This is what it means to be reconciled to him. And it's precisely why Paul said he reconciled all things. It was not just his intention. Now, there's going to come a day when the reality of reconciliation goes beyond your mind and beyond your soul, and it's going to even touch creation. There will come a day when there's no more storms to bring destruction,

when the devouring nature, when the lion will lay down with the lamb, and the inclination of the beast to devour will be taken away. Why? Because he is going to reconcile all things to himself. What's this mean? It means through the cross, Jesus is going to restore order to everything, order to your mind, your emotions, to your money, order to marriages and families, order in the earth, order to the animal kingdom. All of this was made possible through the cross. Thank God for that. Now, as I said, there's probably five or six themes in my study that you could really focus on. These are two that I just want to highlight before we consider some things specific to Jesus' journey in the example he models to us is that through the cross, this is what happened. He conquered sin, he conquered Satan, and through the cross, he has reconciled us to himself.

So I say, thank God for the cross. Without the cross, we have nothing to preach. Without the cross, we have no power to change. Without the cross, this is just a pool of water of no effect. But because of the cross, somebody's sins are about to be washed away in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. As he's being baptized, why don't you just stretch your hand towards them? Lift up your voice. Let's pray. Come on. This is what we're about. This is why the cross happened. Jesus, we thank you for another life being transformed by the power of your blood, by the work of Calvary. Oh, hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Every sin is washed away. All things are passed away, and all things are become new. Praise God. Praise God. Hallelujah. We love you, Jesus. We give you praise. We give you praise. Amen. Amen. Amen. Praise God. Praise God. We thank the Lord. We thank the Lord.

People being baptized now and stop around here. I know Pastor mentioned the Sunday before last. It had been 21 and 21 days, if my memory's correct. I think every service since then, even prayer meetings, Sunday night, people were being baptized. We thank the Lord. I think we all just lift our hands one more time and thank God. Come on. This is what we're here for. This is what the cross was about for sin to be washed away and people to be reconciled to the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. Amen. Amen. Considerations from the cross. The word order does not merely imply the sequence of things, but the disposition or manner in which something is done. If we are to speak of the order of the cross because of our typical inclination or customary use of the word order, we may think the sequence

of events or there are some sects of Christianity that even use the terminology, the stations of the cross. They try to lead people through these as some form of religious relic. This is not how we are using the word order tonight. We're considering rather the temperament or the demeanor that is displayed by the Lord in the actions of the cross. As we're considering how Jesus approached this horrific but necessary action, we're going to find some wisdom for our daily lives. And point number one is this, self-denial, self-denial, Luke 22 and 41. The Bible says, speaking of the Lord, that He was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, it kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. There appeared an angel unto him from heaven strengthening him, and being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was,

as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Again, if you're making note, if you're underlining here, if Thou be willing, we'll underline that word willing, and then he says, nevertheless, not my will, you want to make note of that word will again. This is the recognition of the will. The will is to be determined. It means to have firmness of purpose. And what we're watching here in Luke 22, which is Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, is the meeting point of two wills, the clash of wills, whereas Jesus is partaking of what Isaiah would call the cup of suffering. He's looking into this prophetic reality that he cannot escape. He knows the agony of the cross, the grief of rejection that lays before him, the pain that his physical body will endure. And he says, if Thou be willing, which is to say,

if there is any way that salvation can come without the cross, if healing can be made possible, if redemption can happen without the suffering of the cross, please remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done. It was the meeting place of two wills, whether our choice had to be made, whose will will get the way. The application for us here tonight is to come to terms with the fact that we all have a will. I remember many years ago, meeting with a lady from our church when we were in Halifax and she was frustrated about stuff and her life and she was just wanting to vent and we were talking and the other pastor and I were there and I said, you know, I could make your life a lot better. Her eyes kind of perked up like, oh, like maybe you have the answer.

I said, if I could just take you to the altar, this is probably not a good pastoral tone, but it was good pastoral advice. I said, if I could just, you know, take you to the altar and just drag you there and force you to stay there, I could make your life better. My life, everybody's life would be better, but I can't do that. In fact, not even God will do that. The Lord is a gentleman. There's a lot of talk about authority and submission and we're going to touch on some of this here in a few minutes, but not even God will violate the will of a human being. We talk about absolute authority and I believe in submission. I live to the best of my ability, the principle of submission both to those above me and those around me. I try sincerely, but not even God will violate the will of a human. And if you come to the point where

you are clashing with God, your will and God's will, the question is, will you submit to the order of the cross? Can you pray as he prayed? I don't like it. I wish there was another way. I wish it was easier. I wish it was different, but nevertheless, this is not about my will. It's about your will, self-denial. The point tonight is simple. Our will must be surrendered to God. Jesus taught this in Matthew 16 and 24. You know the scripture, I'm sure. If any man will come after me, let him do what? Deny himself. So the first requirement to follow the Lord was not you didn't have to complete a discipleship course. There wasn't a certain number of classes you had to get through. You didn't have to have a certain uniform or a measure of knowledge. You just had to have the willingness to deny yourself. So this is a, this is a reality that

Jesus had been teaching his followers. And now in the Garden of Gethsemane, he has the opportunity not to teach with words, but with action. He is demonstrating this principle to them. Not my will, but thine be done. And he said, you have to take up his cross and follow me. Now, you got to note this terminology in Matthew 16, because we talk a lot about the cross of Christ, but Jesus said, when you deny yourself, you must take up his or your cross. So he's not talking about his cross anymore. He's talking about your cross. Well, what does he mean? Well, the audience to which Jesus speak, they knew well what he meant. Because to take up your cross in that first century under the rule of the Romans, to take up your cross meant you had been sentenced and tried as a criminal. You were picking up that cross, and it was a one way journey to your own death.

That's what it meant to take up your cross. And so when Jesus says, you must deny yourself and take up your cross, what he's saying is you just, when you agreed to follow me, you signed up for a one way journey to surrender your life, to die to yourself in order that you can be with me. It was the death of the will. What is that? It's the release of control. It means you let God be God of your life. You deny your right to self, self govern. You deny your right to be your own owner. I'm my own boss. I'm my own man. Well, you got a will, but if you want to follow the Lord, you're going to have to lay that wheel down. That's what the cross is all about. Paul said in Romans 6, neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin,

but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. You want to make note of that word yield. Why does Paul say that? Because he knows as much as God could help you, he will not violate your will. Now think with me now. This house is full of hundreds of people on Sunday, and I promise you, there are people that come in need, but don't get everything God has for them. But then there are others who come, experience the same presence of God, sing the same songs, hear the same preaching. Perhaps they even come with the same problems, and their life has changed. How is this possible? Because one person was willing to relinquish their will, to surrender control, to deny themselves the right of ownership and governorship of their own lives. They say, Lord, I will deny myself. I don't have to like it. It's not always

comfortable. It's not always fun. Sometimes it causes me to walk in places that are beyond my comfort or familiarity and understanding, but this is what I know. If I'm going to follow you, I have to deny myself, take up my cross. I surrender my right to govern my own life, and I put it in your hands. It's self-denial. This is the order of the cross. Thank God for His cross, but if we're going to be real disciples of Jesus, we've got to pick up our cross, and that meant you were on a one-way journey to your own death. Point number two is submission. Submission. Sub is indicated in your handouts there. It's a prefix meaning to be under or lower. Commonly used in a military context, it quite literally means to arrange under. Now, this is significant because you can be under something, but things not be in order.

But when we're talking about the principle of submission tonight, it does not just imply that there is something under or something lower, but it implies that it is neatly arranged under. There's an order here. There's a system here. As we consider this, I want to highlight this because oftentimes people who do not deny themselves, when they come to the subject of submission, they have a hard time because they believe the lie that to submit means that they are less important or less valuable. And this is a lie that I think the enemy has used in the last few decades to wreak havoc on the social structure of much of the Western world. There are lies that have permeated culture that have negatively affected marriages and parents and families and homes are falling apart because people don't want to submit. People don't want to talk about what Paul wrote in the New Testament about a headship and husbands and

wives and submission. Listen, submission does not mean you're less valuable. To have a different rank or a different place in God's arranged order has no relation to your value, but that's the lie that culture has propagated, that to submit is to confess or to succumb to the idea that you're not as important. You're not as valuable, really. Well, by this logic, you tell me how the military in the United States of America, let's just pretend we have no more infantry, no soldiers, nobody in the Middle East, nobody in Asia. We've got no men. We've just got some high-ranking generals sitting in a building over here in Washington, DC. Well, I thank God for the generals, but generals and leaders in a building in DC are not going to be able to accomplish it by themselves. So what's that mean? Well, it means that all those lower-ranked people, they may have a different rank because they have a different

purpose. They have less experience. They don't have as much time served, but that does not mean they are any less important. So when we're talking about submission, it's not a matter of value. And Paul's very clear about this in the New Testament. So much so, he said, you find those members of the body that seem to be less important and less honorable, and you bestow even more honor upon them. And I think, you know, speaking practically, you think, well, listen, I'm not minimizing pastor. We need a pastor. He's sitting in this house by God. We need to hear what the Lord's going to speak to us this Sunday. This is not up for debate, but if you think some of those hidden, less noticeable roles aren't very important, well, how was your experience at the restroom that you walked in when you were out to dinner last weekend? That restroom was so dirty, you thought,

I'll just wait until I get home. Now, let me tell you, if someone shows up to church and our restroom looks like that, and they decide, this is too dirty for me, and they come in here, God's moving and pastor's preaching, and they're not getting anything out of the service because they're frustrated they can't find a clean restroom. What's that mean? What it means to me is the people that are here, when nobody else is here, who are scrubbing toilets and mopping floors and vacuuming carpet, you know what it means to me? They are just as valuable to the body as anybody else. Now, they have a place in the body. I thank God for our Sunday school teachers. They have a place in the body. It's not their place to determine the vision. They echo the vision that pastor sets for this house, but because it seems to be of lesser importance, it is of no less value

because it's a different place, and so this is what Paul is saying. In the order of the cross, when we deny ourselves, we are choosing to buy into the concept of submission by which the kingdom of God works. The scripture in your handout, James 4, submit yourselves therefore to God. Submit yourselves. Oh, I would God say that because he can't make you submit. Pastor can't make you submit. Pastor Andrew can't make you submit. No elder in this church can make you submit. Submission is a matter of the will. You have to choose to submit yourself, and he said, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Perhaps we should consider the order of the scripture tonight that he didn't say resist the devil and then submit. You have no power to resist the devil if you don't submit. All power of God flows through the

principle of submission, and when you get out of alignment, now submission is multifaceted. You've got to submit to God. You've got to submit to authorities above you, but the scripture said be clothe with humility and submit to one to another. This doesn't mean that the directive of your life comes from the person sitting next to you, but the tone, the disposition, the order of the cross, as it frames our relationships as such, there should be a mutual humility among us. We don't think we're better than one another. You may have a better job than so and so, and you may have a nicer car than them, and they may have a nicer house than you, and maybe they've got more degrees than you have, and so what? We come and put on the attitude of humility, not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think,

and we submit one to another. Submit yourselves. First Peter 5 and 6, I don't think I put it in your handout. I did not, but maybe you want to make note of it. Peter said humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God, humble yourselves. Now I'll tell you this, you don't get to determine how God chooses to humble you, but you do get to determine your response. So the principle is whatever circumstances, whatever the cross looks like in your life, let your response be such that you choose to allow it to humble you. Now the one who has not denied themselves, I'll tell you how they respond. I don't deserve this, and they get self-righteous, and they get bitter, and they become offended at God, but to the one who has denied themselves, they know it's not about my wants. My will died a long time ago. I've submitted to God. I've submitted to his process. It's the order

of the cross. Point number three, perhaps just as unpleasant to live as the others that we've touched is the acceptance of betrayal. Betrayal. We can't consider the story of the cross without betrayal. The devil is a master of trickery. He delights in ruining relationships, knowing how to lure people into situations where they feel hurt and offended. Offense grows into strife and will separate the closest of relationships. There's probably many more in Scripture as I was studying last night. I made note of a few in my notes. As far back as Cain and Abel, a blatant betrayal of one brother towards another. Joseph and his brothers, Job and his friends, David and his son Absalom and his very close friend Ahithophel, both turn on him, usurp his authority, come out of submission, the uprising of their will, and they try to take the throne. Peter and his betrayal of the Lord.

Paul said, Demas has forsaken me having loved this present world. What is the lesson here for us tonight? It's not a pleasant one. It's that when you take up the order of the cross, when you decide to follow Jesus, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you're going to encounter betrayal in your life. And you're going to have to come to terms that you are willing to accept betrayal because if you do not, in a means to avoid betrayal, you will stop following the Lord to appease those who would otherwise walk away from you. I've told the story here before, but I'll never forget. It was such a formative moment in my life when I had to watch 18 years of friendship, childhood best friends walk away and say to me, you're just not the person you used to be. That hurt. It hurt deep, deep, deep, deep.

But it was true. I wasn't because I'd encountered the cross and it wasn't just a story out of the Bible. It had real personal implications in my life and how I lived. It's betrayal. And as you consider the cross and the subject of betrayal, it really beckons us to consider Judas, John 13, the supper, the last supper being ended. The Bible said the devil had now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. It was a terrible thing. I've considered this before. I've put the reference in your handout, John 12. I won't read it tonight, but it's the account of Mary pouring a pound of spider on Jesus' feet. And in that moment, Judas lifts his voice and says, this is a waste of money. He makes a public issue out of it, and Jesus rebuked him and Mary continued. So it would seem to me that in this moment, Judas becomes offended,

either because he disagrees with the Lord, he thinks he's right and Jesus is wrong, or perhaps he just resents the fact that he has been corrected publicly at that. And so the devil, the Bible says, has now put it into the heart of Judas to betray him. The Greek word there for put into is Bolo, B-A-L-L-O, and it means this, to throw, to thrust, or to inject. It carries the idea of a very fast action. I want you to see this. At the moment Judas becomes offended is the moment the devil put it in his heart. That's how fast it happens. At the moment he let his will rise up, at the moment he came out of submission, that moment, as quickly as his will entertained the spirit of offense that quickly. The devil said, that's all I need. I'm gonna put it in your

heart. And all of a sudden, one of the 12, the 12, we're not talking about like the fringe believer here. One of the 12, the close circle, the ones who had revelation, who knew things that other people didn't know. They saw things other people didn't see. One of the 12, the devil puts it in his heart. The devil got access because his attitude. It's not in your handout, but you might want to write this statement down. Attitudes are spiritual entry points. You know why God has access to your life? Because you've got the right attitude concerning him. The attitude of humility, you've surrendered your will of adoration. You adore him. You love him. You want your attitude towards the Lord gives him access. But the same principle holds true and the opposite. When you have a bad attitude, uh-oh, because that's all the devil needs.

Listen, he don't need you to go to liquor store. He doesn't need you taking up drugs. He doesn't need you going to the casino. Now he'll lead you down that road eventually, but that ain't where he gets you. He just gets you with your attitude. And this is why Paul said, be he angry in sin not. Neither let the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. What's he saying? Life is going to afford you the unfortunate opportunity. This is just a hard reality. We're all going to go through things that mess with our emotions. There's going to be moments when anger flares up and frustration's a real thing and sorrow and grief. And you know what's going to inflame these passions in you? Betrayal, relationship difficulty, hardship. In fact, in the parable of the sower, he said that he was offended because of the word.

Now I know this isn't popular, but we are going to be subject to difficulty because of our decision to follow Jesus. So be angry, but don't sin. Deal with the attitude before it produces an action. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Don't live in that prolonged state of unresolved emotion and attitude, or you're going to do something that you regret. Because the attitude is all the devil needs. Neither give place to the devil. Now I know when we're, don't give place to the devil. Don't swear. Don't watch this. Don't listen to that. Don't go there. Don't drink that. Don't do, all that's good and well. We've got Bible for all that. But that scripture is given to us in the context of attitude. What he's saying is it is your attitude, the management of emotion, the disposition, the order of the cross. It's how you steward yourself that determines whether the devil has

access to your life or not. So yeah, you'll be angry sometimes. You'll be frustrated. Yeah, it's going to happen. Betrayal is going to show up. Judas is going to turn his back on you. Peter's going to deny you. Your heart's going to be heavy. You know what he did? You can find it in the account of Peter. Peter, you're going to deny me three times. Who me? No. I'd never do that. And he leaves that conversation and he goes to a prayer meeting. Because if you're dealing with the grief of betrayal, you've got to be careful who you talk to. And Jesus went to prayer. It's the pattern. It's the order of the cross. And on the subject of betrayal, I put this on the handout. I think it's worthy of considering tonight. People are not always against you as much as they are just for themselves.

They're not so much against you. It's not a war between you and them. And you've got to know this because if you're not careful, when you're angry, when you're hurting, you might believe the lie of the enemy and you may turn this into an unnecessary conflict between you and them. It's not a war between you and them. They're just for themselves. You know why? Because they've not yet denied themselves, which was the first thing you were supposed to do. I don't know, maybe, does anybody here wrestle with the Sermon on the Mount? I haven't wrestled with it this year. I've read through it probably five or six times since the first of January. It's so contrary to how we live, to what our culture says to us, and how we are programmed in a custom to living. What do you mean if I have two or something?

I'm supposed to give it away and turn the other cheek and don't respond? What? That didn't make sense? No, it doesn't. But when you realize all of that teaching was given to people who had surrendered their will, well, okay. I wonder what the crowd would be like on Sunday if the ushers were at the back door asking people as they come in. Have you surrendered your will yet? Listen, the Word of God would be more effective if we all did. This is what it means to follow the Lord. This is the order of the cross, the first step. I don't like it if there's any way the cup can pass. But at the end of the day, it's not about my will. So nevertheless, not my will, but dime be done. There is a wrestling match of wheels, but I choose to submit mine so I can be with God. The last point here under this section

is purpose. This is our why. Purpose is what keeps us motivated when the what is difficult and exhausting and frustrating purpose. We have to look at life, especially in difficulty and betrayal and hardship. We have to look at these things through the higher perspective of purpose. What is our why? That's what Hebrews said, looking unto Jesus, the author and the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Several things here. Who for the joy that was set before him. So somewhere out there in the horizon, there is joy. Well, what is that? Joy is the emotion of a fulfilled purpose, of a completed mission. But if I'm going to get to that joy of fulfilling my purpose, I'm going to have to endure the cross. I'm going to have to go through the shame and the mockery and I will despise that.

But it's not about my will. What would cause a man to do that? I'll tell you what would cause a man to do that. He had an understanding of his purpose. You've got to know your why. Why do you do this? Now, I know what we do. We come to midweek Bible study. We come on Sunday. But why? Because if you don't have a deep conviction of why you do it, you make a lot of bad decisions when you get tired. Well, just, you know, long week, just going to take a day off. You know, prayer to me is not that important. I just, you know, I need a night off. I meant to go to Bible study, but, you know, I got home and, you know, just by the time I was done eating, I didn't want to get there five minutes late, so I decided not to come at all. I'll tell you, you don't stumble into those poor decisions

if you know your why. You have got to look at life all of life through the higher purpose. What is your why? Because I can tell you when Jesus is being tied up to a whipping post and when a crown of thorns is being pressed into his head and everything in his flesh says, I don't want to do this. I can tell you why I did. Because he could look into the future on a Wednesday night in April of 2025 when sins are being washed away. And so, all of heaven's going to rejoice when somebody repents. All of heaven's going to celebrate over sin being washed away and when I look at that joy, it fuels me. It gives purpose and strength. It gives my will determination to do what is necessary. But you've got to know your why and you can't get your why and your what's mixed up. The pastor said this many times in this pulpit.

But our why is not to have the best coffee shop in town. What? What is the coffee? It's the cafe. But the goal is not to have the best cafe or the best coffee. No, that's just the what. What's the why? To serve, to love, to show kindness, to make connection, to connect people to the church, to lead people to Jesus. So the why gives direction to the what. You have got to frame the decisions of life, especially in difficult seasons through the understanding of your higher purpose. And we close here talking about suffering. Nobody invites pain upon themselves. And suffering can leave us asking why, trying to make sense. The Bible does offer us some insight on the redemptive value that God brings in difficult times. Second Corinthians one, bless be God. Even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, the God of all

comfort. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. What a scripture. What a scripture. The God of all comfort. He has sufficient means through the power of His Spirit, the power of His Word. He's the God of all comfort. He can comfort you in any kind of predicament, any problem. There's a peace that passes all understanding, the God of all comfort. And He comforts us in all of our tribulation, the trials of health and family and finance and spiritual battles and seasons of darkness. And when we're trying to make sense of things and we can in life, it seems as Paul said, we're pressed on every side. He comforts us in all of our tribulation. Why? So we can comfort those who are in trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted

of God. Again the Bible would speak to us of many facets of suffering. Speaking of the Lord, it says He was made perfect or He was complete. There was maturity brought about in His purpose in life by suffering. Paul would write in Romans how suffering produces perseverance and perseverance produces character and character produces hope. There's many things that suffering produces that from the American mind that values comfort and luxury and wants everything to better us and serve us, suffering seems senseless. But through that higher purpose, through that redemptive perspective of the cross, the Bible says suffering does so many good things. But perhaps none like this, suffering expands our capacity to minister through increased awareness, compassion and sensitivity to the Spirit. Simply put tonight, suffering makes us better ministers. Suffering teaches us how to serve. Think about Joseph who perhaps in his youth when he spoke that dream may be a little bit out of

season to ears that perhaps he should not have. Suffering and trial, life changed his temperament taught him some things. And as the story unfolds, Joseph's suffering literally positioned him to bring salvation to his family. And he would say, as for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring the past as it is this day to save much people alive. Salvation literally came through suffering. What are you saying tonight, Dan? What I'm saying is any minister worth their salt. And I'm not just using minister to speak of a person in a pulpit. I'm talking about any believer. Ministry flows through suffering. Anybody with something to give is because they've got stories of enduring. They've got testimonies of trials and trauma, pain where God comforted them so now they can comfort others. It increases our awareness. All of a sudden we're seeing the people and

circumstances around us differently than we did before. We're aware of things that we would have otherwise never considered had we not endured that thing. But we're not just aware. It's not just to see it, but compassion is moving in us now. We feel compelled not just to see it, but to say something, to involve ourselves, to do something, to figure out how can we serve those that we're now aware of? And it's not just that we can be aware of them, but it also increases our sensitivity to God because ultimately we're not wanting to give people ourselves. This is not a gathering of humanism. We want to give people Jesus. And suffering has a way of doing what John said, I must decrease. It brings the lessening of myself, the weakening of my own will. And it helps me become sensitive to the Lord. I don't want to quote him because I didn't ask him,

but we had someone at the house the other night, and God's done some great things in his life concerning his health. And he spent some time on dialysis, and Haley had asked him a question about what that was like. And he described the pain and what it was like. And he said, you know, it really, it's really, it's made me so much more patient. I thought, wow. He said, you know, like when you're in a restaurant, and he said the waiter comes and, you know, they're in a hurry and they're trying to move people. And people said, I just, you know, can I get a couple more minutes? And they almost feel bad asking for it. He said, well, having gone through these issues with my kidney and dialysis and realizing these problems with your blood and how it affects your brain and the brain fog. And he said, I see people like that or circumstances like that

through a whole different perspective than I used to. This is what I'm talking about. God says, I got to let you live through some things. Now, we're not to compare ourselves among ourselves. This is not to say that we're all going to have that issue. No. But in some measure without fail, if you want to have a ministry, if you want to be effective and serving people, listen, you're going to have to take up your cross. It's a one way road to your own death where you deny yourself, take up your cross, you suffer a little bit, and God lets you because that suffering, listen, James and John came to them. Can we have a place in your kingdom, one on your right hand and one on your left? Jesus said, you don't really know what you're asking me. Can you drink the cup that I drink? He's talking about that cup of suffering Isaiah

prophesied about because you don't get a position in the kingdom without subjecting your life to a lot of pain. Listen, pastor's not going to get up here every Sunday and tell you about all the pain and problems in his life. I can promise you this, you don't lead at that level. You don't carry the weight of those words without some pain. You want to have much impact? It comes through much pain. But if you filter the reality of suffering through our North American perspective that wants comfort and luxury and serves the self, you'll turn your back and walk away from God. You won't endure it. You have got to look at it through the higher purpose. Why? What is this producing? What is the redemptive value here? Amen. Stand together with me suffering that necessary component of every effective ministry. I don't know sincerely. I don't know a minister. I don't know any elder that I've been blessed

to know and sit with. I don't any of them that have had a life free of some measure of suffering or hardship. For some, it may be health. For another, it may be finances. For another, it may be family. Everybody's story is different. It's not something we seek or invite upon ourselves, but here's the unavoidable truth is suffering, suffering produces awareness, compassion, and sensitivity to God. When you find yourself in that season, just come back to this word and start looking at that circumstance through the perspective of a higher purpose and allow God to bring that redemptive value into your life. All of a sudden, when he starts pouring into you, you can start pouring into others because the God of all comfort is given to you, so you can give to someone else. It's the order of the cross. I put Romans 828 here.

It's just a good verse. You know it. It's one of those verses that I say it's easier to decorate with than it is to live. I put this here because as I was studying, a conversation I had with Pastor Shock some time ago came back to me, and this is a Brother Shock statement right here. He says it like this. Well, we don't like it, but Romans 828 still works there. You say, well, I got sickness in my body. I don't like it, but Romans 828 still works there. You say, I'm in financial trouble. I don't like it, but Romans 828 still works there. You say, I'm battling some situations in my family. I'm discouraged, and I'm frustrated, and I'm angry. I've been betrayed, and I don't like it, but Romans 828 still works there. You say, I didn't think it was going to be like this. Neither did I, but Romans 828

still works there. We know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. He tells you in the next verse what that purpose is to be conformed to the image of His Son. Not to make you rich, not to make you comfortable, no, it's to make you more like Jesus. Well, how does He do that by the order of the cross? You deny yourself, you submit your will, and you let God produce something in you that can't come any other way. Let's lift our hands to the Lord. Jesus, I love you. I thank you for your word. Sometimes the truths of Scripture are not easy to speak and even harder to live. We don't invite pain or trial or discomfort in any form upon ourselves or anybody in this room. We seek to be blessed and live according to your word and the many promises

that are in it yet. We know we live in a fallen world and there is trouble, but there's a higher purpose, and that is that in these frustrating and trying seasons, you comfort us, you help us, and through suffering you shape us to become more like you, and we see things differently, and we speak differently as we become like you, which enables us to minister more effectively. I pray for the one tonight who is discouraged and frustrated by the circumstances of their life. I'm asking God that the Word of the Lord would bring a redemptive value and perspective tonight, that they would begin to see and think differently than they did when they walked in this room tonight. I pray the Word of the Lord would change the tone and the words by which they speak. I pray in the season that may be so hard for them they would find a measure of your comfort

they have never known before. I pray your spirit would overshadow them and they would feel a strength they've never known, and I pray from that testimony, let ministry be born. I pray, Lord, that you would give men and women in this house who have lived much and learned of your goodness, grant them the opportunity to speak of what you've done. Those who've been healed, I pray God that you would order their steps in the coming days to speak of that testimony. Those who've been blessed and you have sustained, I'm asking tonight, God, that you would order their steps in the days to come, that they may comfort somebody else as they have been comforted by you. I don't like to suffer, and I hate when I see people suffer, but I pray, Lord, if we must, that it would produce something deep, something profound, in something powerful in our lives. And so tonight, we deny ourselves, we submit our will,

we submit our lives, and we confess our trust in you, and we know all things work together for the good. And so we pray these things in Jesus' name, and everybody said amen.