Bearing The Cross In Christian Life

Let's pray. Lord, just pray for Dan, for his family, for Cameron, that you would encourage them and you would help the family, Lord, you would help Dan and give them grace to overcome, to trust you and not to lean on their own understanding. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blind Bartimaeus had faith in the only one who could heal him. People told him to be quiet and he cried out more. A lot of people have a lot of advice, but the Lord has the answer.

And God is with humility and brokenness and contrition. It says that the wise men, God will stop their moths. For even the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of the wisest men.

And when he's speaking of the foolishness of God, he's speaking of the message of the cross. The message of the cross is foolishness to them that perish, but to us who are being saved, it's the power of God. When we think of a passage in Hebrews in chapter 13, we look at verse 8 and it says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the same spirit that will raise us up with Jesus. When Jesus said, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself. Bear his cross and follow me.

It's not easy to bear the cross. The cross represents suffering and pain. You're going to be rejected by men, but you'll be chosen by God and precious.

A lot of people say, come to Jesus. Your life's going to get better and things are going to go well, but people don't understand because you can't experience the joy of the Lord and the peace of God unless you first endure the agonies of dying to what you're held by. You can't find your joy in what you're held by.

You can only find your joy in letting go and letting God because true joy comes from the Lord. Happiness comes from external things, but happiness is temporary and our pursuit for happiness. It takes us all over the world, but leaves us wanting the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the same spirit that spoke to us this morning.

Because we're real families with real burdens and real problems and real needs. And Jesus has the answer for it. The scripture says, faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

Says in this world, you're going to have trouble, but rejoice because Jesus said, I've overcome the world. In faith and what? You know, I see people who invest money in a stock. They believe in it.

They put their money where their mouth is, whether it goes up or down. That's not the point. The point is they believe and they put their trust in what someone said and therefore they invest and they take great risks.

But to follow the Lord. Have you taken great risks to trust? Do you really believe that what God where it says is true? Or do we find another way to skirt around the cross? Hoping that we're going to find a penny cost. Hoping that we're going to find life.

Will never happen. It'll be passing pleasure. And in the end will leave a shame and discouraged.

The good you intend to do the evil that you hate. That's what you're going to practice. Unless we do things according to the way of the spirit.

We do things the right way. And the first thing that we can do is to be buried with him in baptism into death. When you come to genuine faith in Christ, you just say, I decided to follow Jesus.

I'm not going back. Some of you going to a baptism this afternoon. No, whether it's genuine in the person or not.

I baptize people who are genuine and I baptize some people who are not. But because of peer pressure, sometimes you feel like, well, it's a good step and perhaps they're going to change. But really what you're doing is you're washing someone who's not regenerated.

Usually something happens in the heart and you're spiritually regenerated. And then you're born again and immediately you're baptized. And it becomes a part of your journey.

You've had conviction. You found repentance. Immediately you're baptized.

It's not a matter of attaining to something. It's a matter of having God done something. And going from there.

And just like marriage is a covenant, you're making a covenant with the Lord. I'm not going back. The world behind me, the cross before.

We've decided we're following Jesus. We're not going back. And even if we have to suffer with him, there are many people throughout history who have suffered persecution for the cross of Christ.

Because they believe in Jesus. The apostles all suffered. Even we have suffered in one degree or another.

But it's all part of the process. To love the Lord more than father, mother, wife, children, even your own life also. Otherwise you can never be a disciple or a follower of Christ.

And so we see the gospel hasn't changed in the 21st century. It hasn't changed. It's still the same.

It says in verse 9 of Hebrews 13. Do not be carried about with various and strange teachings. The teaching is still the same.

The cross is still necessary to follow Jesus. Don't circumvent the cross. Don't go around the cross.

Don't gather under it and talk about the cross. Love the Lord to help you get on the cross. To pick up the cross.

To die to self. You know we sang that song. I don't know who sung it wholeheartedly, but this morning I was.

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans, I surrender them to you. Into your hands. We can trust the good father.

They dealt with us. They thought best. But God deals with us.

Even if it involves a severe discipline from time to time. Trust the good father. But men come along to change the meaning of what the gospel says sometimes.

They make it a little easier to believe. So are we really believing in what Jesus said? Are we really believing what the word of God says? Or have men dumped it down? Don't be carried away with various and strange teachings. It is good that the heart be established by grace.

And not with foods which have no profit to those who have been occupied with them. In other words, we don't put our faith in external things. We put our faith in the word of God.

We put our faith in Jesus himself. Now there's some difficult passages here. In verse 10 on it says, We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

We had a Bible study on Friday night and we talked about God giving gifts. And we saw a manifestation of a gift this morning, a gift of prophecy. And it was a word from the Lord.

But what can happen is people can esteem other people because they possess gifts. For example, someone may have a nice car and they get friends because of, maybe their dad gave them the car, they have nothing to their name. But because of who their father is and who they identify with, they want to jump on the bandwagon and they come to be your friend.

Just like the prodigal son had many friends because his father gave him gifts. He sent him with his inheritance. But when his friends left him was when the gifts were gone.

And let's bring that into a spiritual sense. Maybe someone has a gift to preach. Others envy that gift or some have a gift to prophesy.

Or gifts of healing and the lines get long. Or many other gifts, a diversity of gifts from the same spirit. And people look to the gift and they follow the man.

There is a danger for us to take glory that belongs to God. And this is what this passage is speaking about. It says, we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

For the bodies of those animals whose blood was brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore just also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp bearing his reproach.

Many people were following Jesus. Because he was healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, casting out demons. And no one ever spoke like this man.

But there were a group of people who were envious of him. And turned the people against him at different times during his journey. But it didn't deter him from his course.

We shared on Friday how they came at one point because he gave them natural blessings. You know it's in all of us to want natural blessings. Just when I say I'm not going to pray for natural blessings.

I find myself bringing all my cares and petitions to him. We want to be blessed. And he blesses his children.

But we're always seeking the blessing. We don't want to identify in the Christian life. And so when someone comes to esteem Jesus after he feeds the multitudes.

He perceived they were going to come and make him a king. Well he was a king. But when he perceived that there was time to come and make him king.

I believe it was a test. It was a temptation. And his father told him you need to get out of there.

This is not the way of the cross. And he walked away to a mountain by himself. And there's times when God uses us in certain manifestations of his gifts.

And people come to puff us up or to esteem us. Or the devil works through people. And it would seem like it's the Lord working.

It's the Lord's ways to elevate someone. To bring them into a greater ministry. But is that what the father is saying? To share in his glory.

It says we have an altar by which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. That which is born of flesh is flesh. Food for the stomach, the stomach for food.

We can't find our joy in the praises of men. We can't find our identity in the successes and the blessings that God gives us. Or in spiritual gifts.

We find our identity with Christ. Who bore his reproach outside the city gates. It says let us also come to him outside the camp where our Lord suffered.

The sufferings of Christ and the glories that will follow. We need the conviction of the Holy Spirit because there's a way that seems right to a man. But the end of it is destruction.

And we get tested as Jesus was tested. We also be tested in the like manner. Will you go for the gold and the glory? Or will you look unto Jesus? For here we have no continuing city.

But we seek the one to come. Therefore by him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

And do not forget to do good and to share. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Verse 17.

Obey those who rule over you and be submissive. There's suffering involved in being obedient to that one verse. Well I don't think.

It doesn't say well what do you think? Well I'm sure that. What are you sure of? They're not led by the Spirit. So what? Then let the Holy Spirit lead you to where they are led by the Holy Spirit.

Well I'm going to stand up to them. I'm going to confront. Is that what the verse says? The verse says obey those who rule over you.

And be submissive. The way of the cross, the way of Christ. Is to be subject to the governing authorities.

Is to be subject to those who God has placed over you. Because they watch out for your souls. Children be obedient to your parents in the Lord for this is right.

Does it mean that we as parents do things perfectly? Absolutely not. We're looking to to the Lord to help us navigate our way. And sometimes we have to course-correct just like you do.

Because we've done things wrong. But the heart of the believing parents. Is to see their children do well spiritually.

And to do well naturally. It's in their hearts. As those who must give account.

Parents have to give an account of the way we raise our kids. Leaders, spiritual leaders have to give an account. To the way that they teach the people who are subject to them.

It says let them do so with joy and not with grief. We can cause those who have authority to help us to navigate the journey with Christ. Whether it be parents, teachers or pastors, overseers, elders, deacons.

We can cause them grief. And that would not be profitable for you. It says obey those who rule over you and be submissive.

I think of a time when Jesus was 12, 13 years old. They went to offer sacrifices. They were in Jerusalem.

And Jesus went into the temple. I think he was 12 years old. He was there.

And then his company left. Mary and Joseph left. All the people were with him.

And Jesus stayed in the temple. He was there listening to the words of his father. And then when they realized after a period of time that he wasn't there, they had to go back and look for him.

They found him and said, son, why have you done this to us? What had he done? He said, I was about my father's business. But it says he subjected himself to his parents. He was doing what the father told him.

But the father told him, listen, you need to at this point subject yourself to your parents and be submissive. And he went with them. And they pondered these things in their heart.

What this meant. My father's business. Well, we know he was not born of Joseph and Mary.

He was born of the Holy Spirit. And Mary carried him till term. And they raised him in the Lord.

Saying these things. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom to believing parents, elders and teachers. Who have sound teaching and a desire to follow the Lord.

So even if we think they make mistakes from time to time. There has to be order in the home. You cannot have the inmates ruling the asylum.

You cannot have the children running the homes. And what happens is when the children are in the carnal, when they are in the flesh. Acting out.

They work mummy against daddy. They find out the weak one. The one that will give in to them.

And they go and they ask and they work them. The other one they don't go to. They go to the other.

And then what it does, it pits mum against dad. And the enemy is working in the home. So a kingdom divided can't stand.

So mum and dad need to come into a union. Where there is a strong foundation in the family. Now sometimes we marry not in the Lord.

And it says that the husband is the head of the family. Even though he is making bad decisions. Sometimes he is making bad decisions.

But you know what, things can get talked about. But ultimately there has to be this order. And the word of God says that the wife is to be subject to her husband.

Even if he is disobedient when it comes to the word. I am not talking about going and making gross sins. But he is making bad choices, carnal choices, worldly choices.

But he is not committing sins unto death like sexual sins. And trying to get people involved or the family involved in those things. Or the wife involved in those things.

I am not speaking about those things. Being submissive to the order that God designed. And the word of God says the husband can be convicted.

By the silence and the genuineness of the wife and her sincere faith and her prayers. God is able to do that without a word it says. This is also part of the same Bible.

To be subject to their husband who is the head. That is why we are against divorce here. Because God in the beginning said that the two should become one.

And that is why it is important that when we marry, we marry in the Lord. Now sometimes we get married and we are not in the Lord. And then the Lord does something in one or the other.

It says the believing spouse is not to divorce their unbelieving husband if they can live peacefully. And it never counsels remarriage. This is like one verse where someone can take it and say well you are not under bondage, you are free to act.

But to make a doctrine you need a testimony of two or three witnesses. Two or three scriptures. Not two or three guys who will agree with what you want to do.

You can find them. But we need the word of God to help us to understand other scriptures in the word of God. And so if the husband is not beating the wife or the wife is not abusive to the husband.

Then if they can dwell as a family peacefully, they should remain. It is going to be hard. It is going to be difficult.

It is going to be the way of the cross. And you want to give your husband or your wife a peace of your mind and it is not from the Holy Spirit. We are to be gentle.

We are able to use careful instruction. We are able to talk about things in a right way. To marry in the Lord.

What does that look like? We see the first example of this in the Old Testament in Genesis. Genesis chapter 24. Abraham and Sarah married and they had Isaac.

Abraham made an error in judgment and he listened to the voice of his wife. And she was speaking from the flesh and he married Hagar. And he had an Ishmael.

And then the Lord said cast out Ishmael and Hagar. Because they are not going to be heir of the promise which is of faith. Sarah passes on in chapter 23.

Isaac is old in years. Abraham is old in years. And Isaac is not yet married.

He does not yet have a wife. And that brings us to Genesis chapter 4 verse 1. Now Abraham was old and well advanced in age. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

And so it came into Abraham's heart. He said to the oldest servant in his house who ruled over all that he had. Please put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear by the Lord the God of heaven.

The God of earth. That you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites. Among whom I dwell.

Isaac also said these things to his boys. Jacob and Esau. Don't just take some worldly women from where you're going to school.

Don't just take some worldly woman from where you're working. Or in town when you're out on the town. Don't just find a loud and proud woman and just grab her for your wife for yourself.

The qualities are a gentle and quiet spirit. Not just only for the woman but to be humble and gentle in heart as Jesus is. For the men.

To be teachable. To be submissive. To yield.

These are good qualities. We're not perfect. But these are good qualities to look for.

Abraham was now old advanced in years. So he sent a servant. To do what was the father's responsibility he felt to do.

Is to help his son. Find a good wife. Not a worldly wife but one from among the brethren.

In other words we can see a picture of. Take a believing wife which lines up with New Testament scripture. It says that because of sexual immorality.

That each one have his own wife. I'm quoting now from 1 Corinthians chapter 7. But only in the Lord. You have freedom to marry who you wish.

But in the Lord. This is what this is a picture of. Go back to my brethren.

Those who are of kindred spirit. Those who come from the same upbringing. The same belief system.

Go there and find a wife for my son. Now this is also a symbolic story. It's a natural one but it's symbolic.

We see a picture of Abraham being like the father. Isaac being the son Jesus. And the servant.

Like that a type of the Holy Spirit going out. To find a bride. For his son.

And Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 22. And if we look at Matthew 22. We can see another picture of this.

It's good to see some Old Testament truths. Line them up with some New Testament teachings. And see that these are not just.

The way things were done 2000 years ago. Now you know. We're in a different culture.

Things are done differently. The word of God doesn't change. The very first verse we read.

Jesus Christ is the same. Yesterday. Today.

And forever. Having godly parents involved in the process. Of a godly courtship.

Is a desire. That one day you yourself will have. And will instill in your children.

Because you'll see the value in it. Because some of us including myself. Did things wrong.

And still suffer the pain and consequences of those actions. And we don't want our children to suffer those things. But sometimes they do.

Matthew 22 in verse 1. And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables. And said. The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king.

Who arranged a marriage for his son. Here we see in the New Testament. Jesus is specifically.

Speaking about how the father. Was arranging a marriage. For the son Jesus.

And how he was preparing a bride. For Jesus. And he speaks this in a mystery.

Paul talks about it. He said the two shall become one. That a man should leave his father and mother.

Be joined to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh. He said I speak a mystery between Christ and the church.

The church being the bride of Christ. And this bride. Has to prepare herself.

For the wedding. There's an engagement. But there has to be a preparation for the wedding.

To make herself white. To make herself ready. Jesus isn't going to be joined to a harlot.

None of us would just say. Well you know what. I'm just going to go downtown Vancouver.

And look for a pretty one. And just marry a prostitute. That happened once.

In Hosea. And God told him to marry one. Because the nation of Israel.

Was living like that. They were doing their own thing. And everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes.

And he said I want you to do that. And have children with this lady. And it will be a sign and a symbol and a byword.

To get the nation's attention. I don't believe God's asking any of you to do that. But God's desire is that we become white.

That we make our robes white. In the blood of the Lamb. And that we wash our robes.

And that we keep ourselves pure. You might start out loud and proud. But through baptism.

Through repentance. You'll find rest. In your soul.

And you know what? You're going to start to have your nature change. And as your nature changes. You're going to attract someone with a similar nature.

And you won't be attracted to the people who are loud and proud. You'll be attracted to someone who's humble and gentle in heart. That won't attract you.

Because Christ is humble and gentle in heart. And when he speaks about. How a woman should behave in the church.

She should have a humble and gentle spirit. Willing to serve. Willing to yield.

Submissive. In the same way as we read. You men be submissive to your bosses who rule over you.

It says that in another passage. But be submissive to the authorities in your life. Do things the right way.

So God's blessing can rest upon you. Because you're not going to fight your parents. You won't fight the deacons and the elders.

You're fighting God. And if God's against you. What hope do you have? Except to have a hard life.

But if God before you. Who can be against you? So when hard times come. You're going to be able to overcome.

Because Christ has you. And you have him. The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king.

Who arranged the marriage for his son. Oh I know it says. A man shall leave his father and mother and join to his wife.

Yes there's a leaving and cleaving. After marriage happens. The parents are not to meddle in their relationship.

But there's sometimes. Times when. My dad has spoken into my life.

Because I was taking bad choices after I was married. He said son what you're doing is not good. You need to repent and return to the Lord.

That's not meddling. That's love. There's times when I've said to some of my kids.

That they were taking decisions. That would alter the course of their future. And I've weighed in on my opinion.

I said you know what. I don't think that's a good decision. I wouldn't do that if I was you.

And they might not have liked it all the time. But from where I was sitting. I had a different perspective.

A different angle. And I could see a little further than they could see. It doesn't mean that we've always given.

The correct and perfect advice. But you know what. If you have godly.

God-fearing parents. You can have a better chance. So that your relationship.

Will be founded on the rock. So let's break it down to the foundation. Jesus the cornerstone.

Jesus the capstone. And all of us in between. He is the Alpha.

The Omega. The beginning and the end. All things were made through him.

He was there in the beginning. Nothing was created without him. God spoke.

And the word went forth. And the Holy Spirit accomplished. What it was sent out to accomplish.

We see the Godhead. In the beginning. And also he said I must go.

So he can come. We will come to you. We will not leave you as orphans.

And so this is when the Holy Spirit comes. And the man gets born again. Filled with the spirit of Christ.

And the Holy Spirit indwells us. Through the son and the spirit. We become new men.

New women in Christ. New creations. And all things start passing away.

And everything starts becoming new. Some of us have started that way. But we have deviated.

From the narrow path. And we had another way worked out. But now.

We have gone through hard things. And the Lord says repent and return. Though I have wounded you.

I want to bandage you. Though I have torn you. I want to heal you.

And I want to come to you again like rain. Times of refreshing from the Lord. Spring rain.

We heard the exhortation. Faith is the victory. There was a brother there.

Came to the disciples. Had a demon possessed son. And they prayed over him.

Nothing changed. They were very weak in faith. And he said what's going on here.

We tried to cast the evil spirit. Boy throws himself in the fire. And different things.

And water. And Jesus said to him. What do you need? And he said if you can do anything Jesus.

Heal my son. And Jesus didn't say I will. He said if you can believe.

All things are possible to human beliefs. The prerequisite of seeing the power of God. Is faith in Christ.

Faith in his word. Getting a promise. And holding fast to it.

Many times we've gone through hard things. We've experienced mountaintop experiences with the Lord. But we've gone through low, low places.

I remember a time when my wife was pregnant. With child. Was her second last child.

And the Lord spoke to me. And gave me a name. Most of my children the Lord gave me a name.

The latter years. The children and. He said you call his name Seth.

Seth. Bible name. What does it say of Seth? So I looked it up.

And it says that after Cain had murdered his son. His brother Abel. It says then.

Adam and Eve had another child. She conceived. And they called his name Seth.

And all it says of Seth. Is then men began to call on the name of the Lord. I said okay.

I'll call him Seth. Perhaps he'll call on the name of the Lord in his lifetime. And during the pregnancy.

My wife had some complications and. She went into labor. Three weeks early.

And they went and they said that. There was distress. The child was distressed.

And the heart rate was distressed. And they sought to induce. Her to pregnancy.

They said it's just. Three weeks we can make it. We can make it work.

And as they induced. And the child was coming. The heart rate was bottoming out.

Going down to 30 beats a minute. And. I was going by what I seen.

And the things I heard the doctors. And the nurses saying there was. Four doctors or nurse.

There at the time and. I don't do well in these kind of situations. And.

And seeing the heart rate going down. And everything. That I said I got to get out of here.

And I need to pray. Because the doctor said. Call for the pediatrician.

We need an emergency C-section. And it was in the middle of the night. And the doctor.

I heard the nurse. I went out and the nurse. The reception lady called the pediatrician.

On the hospital. And no answer came. And five minutes later.

She said you need to call the pediatrician now. And I called her four times. And the receptionist said.

There is no answer. Nobody's coming. We have heard nothing.

I could hear them agitated and irate. He said we need to get this baby out. The heart rate is going down.

And I began to call. On the name of the Lord. For mercy for my son.

And as it was getting more and more desperate. My prayers became more and more intense. And I was just.

Leaning on the Lord. Calling on the name of the Lord. And all of a sudden.

It hasn't happened to me too many times. But I prophesied. I prophesied about the boy.

I don't remember what I said. But I knew I was on the top of my lungs. In that hospital.

In that next room over. Pacing around with my hands in the air. Calling on the name of the Lord.

The spirit of God come on me. And after I prophesied. I heard the Lord speak and said.

Now I shall bring him forth. And I grabbed it. Like a petition that I had received from heaven.

And I turned around and went back into the room. I didn't go into the room. Until I had a petition from heaven.

As I went into the room. The head was coming out now. And then who she was out.

And the doctor was searching the umbilical cord. And she started to. Say what a miracle.

This is a miracle. She said this has happened to me only two times. And we won't talk about the other one.

But it did not end well. A true knot in the umbilical cord. As tight as one would take a piece of yarn.

And tighten it and cinch it. No blood and no oxygen going to the brain. And the doctor looked at me.

I don't know if she was a believer or not. But she said. God heard your cry.

This is a miracle. And afterward I reflected. The Lord knew all these things.

Call him Seth. Because he's going to be born. And you're going to be calling on the name of the Lord.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And don't lean on your own understandings. Don't look at the circumstances.

Look to the Lord and be radiant. That's when our faces are not ashamed. When we look at the problem.

We're ashamed. When we look to the Lord we're radiant. You know I read yesterday.

Psalm 34. This poor man cried out. And the Lord heard him.

And delivered him from all his fears. We need the Lord. To deliver us from all our fears.

There's so much uncertainty. So many unknowns. But.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust. Trust in the Lord. Make the Lord your trust.

Don't respect the proud. Nor such as turn aside to lies. Seek the Lord while he may be found.

And call upon him while he is near. The prerequisite of that is. Let the wicked man forsake his way.

His ways are not our ways. And the unrighteous man his thoughts. That's where our radiance comes from.

It comes from him. I've gone through things where things didn't work out my way. We've lost children through miscarriage and things.

But you know what? You have to come to this one conclusion. That God is still good. God is good.

All the time and every day. He's good and his mercies fail not. They're new every morning.