Writer Anne Cetas said this about a co-worker. “My co-worker Tom keeps an 8-inch by 12-inch glass cross on his desk. My friend Phil, who like Tom is a cancer survivor, gave it to him to help him look at everything ‘through the cross.’”
The glass cross is a constant reminder of God’s love and good purposes for him. That’s a challenging idea for all believers in Christ, especially during difficult times. It is easier to focus on our problems than on God’s love. The Apostle Paul’s life was certainly an example of having a cross-shaped perspective. He described himself in times of suffering as being persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” He saw his life and his sufferings “through the cross.” He believed that in hard times, God is at work, “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs all that we go through down here.”
I want us today to start looking at everything “through the cross.” Because the cross says something; it speaks loud and clear; it is a symbol of the greatest victory for Christians that has ever been obtained. That’s why we take the Lord’s Supper. We need to remember the cost of the cross, but we also need to remember what was accomplished for us there. It represents victory over all of life’s struggles; it represents victory over every circumstance. Today, the cross has gotten lost in a lot of Christians’ lives and in a lot of Christian churches. Now, it’s “name it and claim it” …” Prosperity, health and wealth ministries;” one minister had a “Money” revival.
Another minister evangelist had a $35 line for prayer and deliverance from witchcraft; others offer so-called “miracle water” … which is supposed to bring instant healing, a check in the mailbox; they claim that the cross represents the fact that Christians don’t suppose to ever be sick, go through anything and have heaven on earth. In spite of that claim, Godly Christians get sick, and many have died … because the fact is until the rapture or the calling away of the church, that’s the only way Christians are going to heaven, through death. But the claim is that we are to have everything right here. In this aspect, we have more than our savior did when he was here on earth who himself said in Matthew 8:20 ” Foxes have holes; birds of the air at least have nests; but the Son of Man have nowhere to lay his head.” The cross is lost; don’t hear very much about it today; and people miss the importance of the cross.
Today we’re coming home. The cross is not here for no reason; the literal cross says that the best of the best died for the worst of the worse.
It means that God gave heaven’s best for earth’s worst; that sinners that don’t deserve anything, through the cross have been given everything. Those who deserve hell have been given heaven and the benefit package is out of this world.
What are the benefits? Eternal life, meaning we will live forever and never die the spiritual death, hallelujah!
It means the power that sin once exercised over us has been broken; it doesn’t control us anymore; it means Satan exercises no authority over our lives anymore; in fact, we exercise authority over him! It means that because we belong to the family of God, that nothing will ever separate us from His love (Rom. 8:39); and I mean nothing! it means that “all things work together for good to them that love the Lord (Rom. 8:28)”… it means, that we have angelic protection watching over us all night, all day and angelic protection that is better than ADT alarm system (Heb. 1:14); and one of the best parts of this benefit package is that we don’t pay the premium; and unlike our regular insurance policy, for with it we pay the premium, and when we die somebody else enjoys the benefits; with this policy Jesus paid the premium, with His blood. And when we die, WE receive the benefits! And the good thing about it is that this policy will never be cancelled. No health questions; no two-year waiting period; pre-existing conditions don’t matter. Once you take it out, if you die on your next breath, you will receive the benefits in full! That’s a good policy. Phil, who we mentioned earlier, who was a cancer survivor, gave his friend Tom the glass cross as a reminder to look at everything in life through the cross. This morning community, we are to see everything through the cross; and if we do, life will take on new meaning.
Let me show you what I mean; the Apostle Paul had a cross-shaped perspective; Paul believed that in the hard times, God is at work, “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs all of our suffering down here.” He could say “for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us…notice how he says our light affliction “WORKS FOR US…. In other words “Our light affliction is WORKING for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:17)”…he could say this because he was looking through the lens of the cross.
Friends, what we go through down here is only temporary; it will be over after a while; compared to what we have waiting for us in heaven is eternal and will last forever; all because of the cross; Don’t worry about the things of this world anymore; let’s look at all things through the cross.
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