The Glory of the Cross

[0:00] The Lord is crucified unto me and I unto the world.

[0:27] And it says there, Paul says, God forbid that I should glory in saving the cross. And so it's very important that we understand the cross as we reflect on this time.

[0:43] This is an open invitation for those who know the Lord as their saviour. And I bring to you the message of the cross tonight. Now we can glory in many things in our lives. There's many things that we can glory in.

[0:54] Paul says, God forbid that I should glory except in this one thing. Especially in this thing. He says, save in the cross. You know, we can think of so many things that we can fill our lives with.

[1:08] Paul says he wants to focus on this thing. This is one thing that he especially wants to put his focus on. Now Paul could have glory in all kinds of things. He was a man of many talents and many learnings.

[1:22] And he had much to claim as far as where he'd come from in his learnings as one of the very learned religious people of his day.

[1:33] And he had much that he could glory in. And that he could boast in. His heritage. His line that he had. The lineage that he had.

[1:45] And such things as that. So he could have gloried in all kinds of things. And boasted about all sorts of things. But he said he just wanted to talk about the cross. And it's the same for you and me as God's people.

[1:57] There's one thing that we especially want to glory in. It's the cross of Jesus Christ. And in Jeremiah 9 it says. Thus saith the Lord.

[2:08] Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory in his riches.

[2:19] But let him that glorieth glory in this. That he understandeth and knoweth me. That I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness. Judgment and righteousness in the earth.

[2:31] For in these things I delight saith the Lord. So God says through the prophet Jeremiah. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.

[2:44] He's got fair claims of glory in his wisdom. But don't glory in that. If you're rich don't glory in your riches. If you're mighty don't glory in your might.

[2:55] But glory in this. That you know the Lord. That you know and understand the Lord. That you know and that's what really counts isn't it. And so there's a lot that can take our attention through life.

[3:07] Some people will glory in their education. You know we might have letters behind our name. And we can make some claim for the many learnings that we've had. And you know fair credit.

[3:19] You've worked hard to earn such things. Some people will glory in their education. Some people will glory in their sports. You know there might be some great professional sportsman or woman.

[3:33] Some people will glory in their achievements. Their life might be filled with all kinds of things that they could claim credit to. There could be trophies on their shelf at home.

[3:44] Or certificates on their wall. Some people will glory in their career. And might have made some amazing progress.

[3:55] Or in their hobbies for example. Some people get really caught up in their hobbies. But the Lord says by Jeremiah. Glory in this. Glory in this. To know the Lord.

[4:06] Paul says there's only one thing that he wanted to glory in. To glory in the cross. To glory in the cross of Christ. By the cross we can know God. It's by the cross that he makes that way open to us.

[4:19] It's under the shadow of the cross. That shadow of God's judgment. Of God's wrath poured out. Of God's punishment vented. It's in the shadow of the cross.

[4:31] That we can see the glory of God. What he's done for us can't we? As we see the blood as it were dripping down. As we see the agony of our saviour. What he did for us.

[4:42] His forgiveness from sin. And what he did to make that happen. To make that possible. Our glory is in the cross tonight. And we just want to spend those quiet moments just thinking about that.

[4:56] The work of the cross. The work of the cross. It says our sin is finished. When he said it is finished. Our judgment is finished. Now for believers the judgment against our sin has already been fully vented.

[5:11] Fully paid. So that we know there is a judgment for the believers. It says that all of us will give account of ourselves to God. But for believers there's the judgment seat of Christ.

[5:21] Where it's for rewards. And so judgment is finished for you. If you trust Christ. It's been totally paid. Damnation is finished.

[5:32] There's no damnation. There's no condemnation. To those who are the same. And our salvation is completed. It's fulfilled. It's accomplished. Everything has been done. So friends tonight.

[5:43] We can glory in the cross. And the glory of the cross. Is as real as it's shame. As we think upon the shame. That our Lord suffered. That he endured at the cross for us.

[5:53] We can see the glory of God. It tells us elsewhere. How if we look in his face. There's the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

[6:03] In the face of Jesus Christ. We think how that face was more marred. Than any man. We see the glory of God there. And the cross addresses our sin. So it's at the cross we can know God.

[6:15] And each one here tonight. I trust you're saved. You know what salvation means. That Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He rose again. He's victorious. And he extends his free gift of salvation.

[6:28] To all who will trust him. And there's righteousness. There's love. There's the knowledge of God. In the glory of the cross. And the glory of the cross. Comes out of the agony of the cross.

[6:39] So let's not forget that. As we think. As we're reminded again tonight. Of the son of God. Who turned his death. On the cross. Into a glorious victory. A glorious triumph.

[6:51] And we can all say. All glory to God. Let's say that together. Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God. Now the angels one day. They're going to be saying. Glory to God.

[7:01] In the highest. And we can say tonight. Glory to God. Glory to God. Because of the cross. We can glory in the cross. Like Paul did. And know. The marvellous grace of God.

[7:12] Perhaps someone with a grateful heart. Might like to give thanks for the bread. As we just hold it together. And let's just pray. Someone with a grateful heart. Just give thanks for the bread. Body of Christ given for us.

[7:22] God bless. Thank you.