TODAY’S “GOOD NEWS” – March 21, 2004

 MESSAGE:  “C R O S S I N G   O V E R:

…To What God Wants Us To Be!”  Part III

SCRIPTURE:  Galatians 6:11-17

KEY VERSE:  v. 14  “May it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

FOCUS:  The cross of Jesus is my gateway to a whole new way of living.

INTRODUCTION:   “The Sanhedrin probably preferred a Roman execution simply as a way of frightening Christ’s own followers.  We can see from Peter’s three denials that he was certainly frightened before the crucifixion.  We can only imagine the fear Peter and his fellow disciples knew after watching their teacher die such a hideous death.”  

~ Dale Foreman in “Crucify Him”                                                                                                 

I.     THE CROSS REVEALS GOD’S VERDICT ON MAN’S SIN

      A.      Jesus’ mission was to confront sin                                    

B.       Sin called for radical action      

C.     God knows the impact of sin on people

II.    THE CROSS EXPOSES GOD’S LOVE FOR PEOPLE

         A.    God’s love waits for nothing 

  B.    Such love calls for a full-hearted response

          C.     God’s love calls us to His side

 III.  THE CROSS BRINGS BELIEVERS TO THEIR OWN CRUCIFIXION

CONCLUSION:  “The great privilege of discipleship is that I can sign on under His (Christ’s) cross, and that means death to sin.”

                        ~ Oswald Chambers in MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST

PREACHING:  Pastor Holland Lewis