The Controversy of the Cross

Sunday, I preached The Controversy Of The Cross. 
​It is so amazing to see that so many are dealing with issues and struggles that have weighed them down to the point they just want to give up. 
Living life on what seems like a merry-go-round, going around and around until you get sick and want to throw up. But the reality is, sin will make you sick and tired. 
Some people won't walk away from their sin until they are paying the ultimate price.
And even then, it's hard to believe that the cross became the accomplishment necessary to put a blockage or barricade between my sin and my soul.
I can remember mid-message saying, "We can't embrace the Lord's forgiveness because we fail to forgive others. You know...that sucks. But the reality is, if we don't forgive others, the Lord won't forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15).
This type of neglect to forgive, carries over into everything we do.
This is why we are bound by the things of our past. What we did last night?
The controversy of the cross is simple... 
It's you fighting between the fact that everything you could ever do is on the cross or you determining that the cross is not powerful enough to carry your mess.
See, there is nothing you can do to destroy, diminish, or demolish the workings of the cross; it's provision, purpose, and power is solidified.
​
The provision of the cross, is complicated… Because it’s hard to imagine, God, providing a piece of himself, to come to earth just to die for your sin and mine.
       It’s hard to comprehend Him allowing His Spirit to in-pregnant a Virgin named Mary so He would become the remnants of Himself in flesh.
       But if you really believe in your hearts of hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, it would be easy to embrace that Jesus was God in the flesh…
John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the word, the word was God, and the word was with God."
​In paraphrasing it simply means, I am God. I came as God. And I'll forever be with God.

The purpose of the cross, is even more baffling….
       Because it’s hard to imagine that God, would love us so much, That He’d give His own as a ransom for us.
        And not only was His purpose to become a ransom,
        But to show us that FORGIVENESS is who He is, what he taught, and why He came.
        And it was so evident in three of the last things HE did was according: 
Luke 23:34 shows Him asking His Father to forgive man for they knew now that they were doing; 
Luke 23:43 forgiving the thief who hung beside Him and proving because of his belief in Jesus, he has secured himself a plane in paradise. 
John 19:26, He places Mary in the care of John, and John in the care of Mary.
The purpose was to become our redemption and our inheritance.
Ephesians 1: 7-14

The power of the cross, is SO THAT we wouldn't be loss.
IT is not only where our sins were paid in full, it’s where the devil is conquered and Christianity is given it’s mission, vision, and values.
1 Peter 2:24—Eradicated sin and death
Gal 3:13—Annihilated the curse of death
1 Cor. 15:54-55— Canceled the assignment of death
Col 2:14— Puts to shame our enemy
And, Matt 16:24— Becomes the marching orders for the church.

So in conclusion, there is no real controversy concerning the cross. 
The cross has already accomplished what God intended for it to accomplish and all you have to do is embrace the cross for what it is...the place where you can carry all of your burdens to the Lord and leave them there. The place where your sins were forgiven and your heart is cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Be Blessed,
Pastor Danyelle