Pastor's Pulpit

I'm running a little behind this week. Sunday was another good day. We had 4 visitors with us in the am service and 3 visitors in the pm service. We didn't have anyone saved in the morning service but we did have a woman saved out soul winning on Thursday night and we are hoping she will attend church this Sunday.
I am looking forward to preaching tomorrow night at the Summer Jubilee Camp meeting at Bro. Varnell's church. Please pray that the Lord will use the message to encourage someone in the service.

I will post this past Sunday's message later.

Pastor Taylor

Just returned from camp meeting at Christ Independent Baptist Church. We had a great service tonight, a good Friday night crowd and a wonderful spirit in the service. Bro. Tondee did a wonderful job and God spoke to hearts.
Here is the message preached last Sunday:

" Are we hiding the Cross? "
I Cor. 1:17-23

In 1934 a cross was erected on Sunrise Rock in the middle of the Mojave desert as a memorial in honor of all veterans who served our country. In 1994 the land became a part of the Mojave Land Preserve which includes 1.6 million acres of desert in southern California. In 1999, Frank Buono brought the Mojave cross to the attention of the ACLU. They in turn contacted the National Park System and demanded that the cross be taken down on the grounds that its display on federal land violates the constitutions establishment clause ( even though the cross was made as a war memorial, its specifically Christian symbolism did not apply to all faiths, as all veterans are not Christians ). After several years of litigation, 2000 - 2004 it remained on the land. Again in 2009, the Supreme court agreed to hear the case, this time until a decision could be made, since it was assumed the primary effect of the presence of the cross was to advance religion - the cross was hid by a large wooden box! Since that time, the US Supreme court voted 5-4 to keep the cross. Now the cross has been removed by some private group or person. Interesting story, they had to hide the cross, because the presence of the cross was to advance religion! The Cross- of course represents Christ, it points to the Saviour. ( vs. 18, 21 What is it we preach? vs 23, " But we preach Christ crucified, " Are we hiding the Cross today? Are we ashamed of the Message of the Cross? As Christians, we shouldn't be, but as I read this story - I wondered - are we hiding the cross?...

I. From the Lost?
( vs. 18 ) " For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness: but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. "
The society we live in today, 2010 - doesn't want to hear about the cross! The cross offends people. So churches will take down their crosses from their baptistry's, from the outside of their buildings. They will hide the cross from the unsaved because they don't want to make them uncomfortable.
I am sorry, but we don't have to hide the cross from the world. It's not so much the actual emblem of the cross that's offensive to this lost world. People will wear crosses as jewelry. They will tattoo them on their bodies, so it's not the emblem that is the problem. It's the Message of the cross this world hates. But its that very message this world needs to hear! ( vs. 21-23 )
The devil is doing everything he can to keep people from hearing the message of the cross. ( II Cor. 4:3-5 ) He blinds them of the message so they will not be saved. It is the glorious message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, what is the gospel? ( I Cor. 15:1-4 ) It is the message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Verse 2 says, by which ye are saved. It is a saving message. This is the only message that can save the lost from a burning hell and sin. Are we guilty of hiding the cross from the lost? When was the last time you told someone of Jesus Christ? There is no greater message to share with a troubled world. The message of the cross, it is also a message of love. Bro. Dennis Corle said, " Never was there a greater price paid anywhere for anything than the price that was paid on the cross of Calvary to save you from a literal burning, agonizing hell! " The Son of God suffered our agony and our Hell on the cross so we wouldn't have to. He paid the price, because He loved us so. Are we hiding the cross from the lost? Secondly, are we hiding the cross?...

II. From our Loved ones.
( Acts 16:30-31 ) The Philippian Jailer was converted as well as those in his house. ( vs.34 ) " And when he had brought them into his house, he sat meat before them, and rejoiced , believing in God with all his house. "
He made sure they all knew what they must do to be saved. In Acts 18:8, Crispus and his entire family believed on the Lord. I believe his wife, his sons, his daughters, they all were saved. Now the sad thing is that sometimes the hardest people to reach are our own family. Jesus went back to His home town in Matt. 13:53-58, even He could do no mighty works because of their unbelief. They threatened Him, and threw Him out of the city! We sometimes are ridiculed, treated differently, even despised by own families, because we are Christians. And because of that, we don't share the gospel for fear of being mistreated by our own loved ones.
Some are even offended , like those in Jesus day, and it looks as if they deliberately live against everything we believe.
We need to realize the Meaning of the cross. They don't hate you so much as they hate what you stand for. We live in a selfish society. In II Timothy 3, these days are called perilous times, people will become, " lovers of their own selves... lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." It's because people are carnal, they don't want to live to please God. They want to please themselves. The cross means:
When the Bible talks about the cross, it is a symbol of death and reproach. Jesus told His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him. He told them to deny themselves. To die to self means I refuse to acknowledge self at all. I deny self like Peter denied Christ. I refuse to acknowledge self. That cross was a symbol of death. In Rom. 6:6, Paul talked about the need for the old man to be crucified. Jesus died on the cross, to be Christ-like, we must die, self must die. Self wants control. I'm talking about me myself, I. Now the world doesn't like that. Family will not like that, especially if we surrender to serve the Lord. Let's not hide the cross from our family. Share the message of the cross with them. Are we hiding the Cross?

III. From our Lives.
( Matt. 16:24-25 ) What we want to do is save our life. It's my plans, my dreams, my life, what I want out of life. He said if you save your life, you lose it, but if you lose your life, you will save it.
We are sinners saved by His grace. He bought us with a price. He purchased us. We are not our own. In Rome, the cross was the means of capital punishment. Not popular, I believe we need to see the Motivation of the Cross. It demonstrated God's love for us, and we are to glory in the cross. ( Gal. 6:14 ) We don't seek glory for ourselves, we are unprofitable servants, we glory only in the cross. Today we have exchanged the old rugged cross, for a new comfortable cross.
The old cross glorified God, the new cross glorifies man. The old cross condemned men, the new one amuses them. The old cross was offensive , the new cross compromises. Paul said, there is an offense to the cross. ( Gal. 5:11 ) The cross has always produced enemies. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you are going to offend someone if you stand for the Word of God.
We don't need a new cross, We that are saved are to glory in the old rugged cross. No we will not hide it, we are not ashamed of it, Amen?
We will live in the power of the resurrected Christ, when we experience crucifixion of self. I don't know about you, but I don't want a powerless life. I want Christ to live in me and through me. The only way to get that power is to die, daily and let His life live in me. I will take up my cross and follow Jesus today. Let's not hide the cross from our lives.
Are we hiding the cross from a lost and dying world? Are we hiding the cross from our families? How about in our life? Let's not be guilty of hiding the cross.

Bro. Taylor