TAKE UP YOUR CROSS ...
Sermon
FAITH IS FOR SHARING
It'll make you undefeatable!
In Luke 8:4-8, our Lord tells a parable about "the sower and the seed" to illustrate the proclaiming of the Word and human response. It is curious to note the audacious, almost reckless way in which the seed is sown. The sower must have been really throwing wildly, because we are told that some seed fell on the footpath, some on shallow rocky ground, some among thistles, and some in good soil.
To many people the sower's haphazard way of sowing would appear wasteful. Couldn't he have been a little more careful? Couldn't he have waited until the conditions were a little more favorable? Couldn't he have waited until he gained a little more skill at sowing before undertaking such a task? Rather than risk failure or looking foolish, some people choose to do nothing at all. Their fear of what others will think paralyzes them.
But I have a question for people who are preoccupied with "playing it safe." For what are you saving yourself? Someone once said, "It is far better to wear out for the Lord than to rust out!" One day you may wake up to discover that life has passed you by. Opportunity may have knocked on your door, but you refused to answer. Some people, when they grow old, look back on their past and regret what they have done. But you may well regret even more what you have not done!
The fact of the matter is that while many people are busy "playing it safe," our Lord calls us to risk all on the cosmic gamble that his way of life is the only way to live. He said, "If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind; day after day he must take up his
cross, and come with me." (Luke 9:23 NEB) That old self with all its fears and prejudices, its antiquated and deadly way of thinking, would like to hold us back. It would have us seeking to preserve our flesh and therefore cause us to lose Life Eternal. But our Lord said that we must deny that old self by following him on a regular daily basis. We cannot adequately deal with our old nature by focusing attention on it. The only way to deal with it is by focusing our attention on Christ. I shall never forget how the choir in a church which I often visited as a youth always began their Sunday evening Service by singing,
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in his marvelous face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim -
In the light of his glory and grace.
This is the secret of the victorious life: looking to the Master of Life for strength and direction.
If I focus my attention on Christ Jesus, if I seek first his Kingdom in my life, if I seek daily and continually to follow him, then nothing can ultimately defeat me. As Frank Laubach wrote, "There is no defeat unless one loses God, and then all is defeat, though it be housed in castles and buried in fortunes." As long as I am able to maintain that vital contact with the living and present Lord, then nothing can drag me down. For the victory that overcomes the world is my faith - not in myself - but in Christ. But just let me break contact with him, and, like Peter on the waves of that storm-tossed sea, I begin to sink. (Matthew 14:22-33) And in those times my only way of escape is to cry out as Peter did, "Lord, save me! Lord, save me!" And as I stretch forth my hand, I always discover anew the glorious fact that Christ is also reaching out for me to lift me up to new life.
Following Jesus is risky business at best, and this is why he spoke of a cross. One morning when they woke up, some of the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, what are we going to do today?" Simon the Zealot said, "Lord, are we going to preach about the Kingdom today? I just love it when you preach about the Kingdom!" And Simon Peter said, "Lord, are you going to tell us where to fish today? I just love to go fishing with you because you always know where the big ones are." And then James and John came around and said, "Lord, are you going to call down fire from heaven on some unresponsive congregation today? I'd just love to see you do that!" And someone else asked, "Lord, are you going to heal the sick and raise the dead today? I sure would like to see you do that again!" And on it went, each disciple expressing his own interests.
But in the end they all grew silent and looked to Jesus for an answer, and he said, "No, men, we're not going to do any of those things today. Today, we're going on a trip. We're going to leave Judaea and go up to Galilee. And we will be taking the short-cut through Samaria. "Through Samaria!" all the disciples shouted. That's unfriendly territory. Jews like us aren't welcomed there. There are people in Samaria who don't believe the way we do. There are people who don't see things the way we do. There are all kinds of foreigners, people whose customs are strange to us, in Samaria. That is the land of our enemies. Can't we go the long way around and avoid all of the trouble?"
Now, of course, this is a highly exaggerated account of the beginning of the fourth chapter of John's Gospel. And, admittedly, a lot of imagination was used to create the dialogue. But the Bible gives us our Lord's response to their probable objections. "He had to pass through Samaria," it says. (John 4:5 NEB) And if he hadn't, that woman at the well would never have heard of the Living Water that only Christ can give - and neither would her fellow villagers who became believers because of her testimony.
People in Samaria need Christ, too! There is usually another road to travel besides the one our Lord travels. There is always an easier path than his. But his path, although the going is a little rougher and the traveling is a little harder and the risks are a little greater, is the only one that leads to life. All other roads may promise smoother riding, but they are dead-end trails. Going the long way around may seem like the safe, sane, and sensible thing to do at the moment, but "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." (Proverbs 14:12 RSV)
And so, our Lord speaks to us of a cross and a narrow way that only a few dare walk. But those who dare, win! When Christ talks about taking up our cross daily, I think he's saying that because we have decided to live with him and follow him, we are going to be called upon to take some risks that we wouldn't otherwise have to take. And we are going to be asked to stand some hurt and pain and suffer some personal inconvenience that we could otherwise avoid.
Although it might seem safer to do good works and speak of God in our own community among our friends, we are being asked to risk entering enemy territory. It might seem more sensible and less controversial to skirt a particular issue or wink our eye at some sin, but the way out is always through and never around. Sin is not overcome by denying its existence, but by facing it in the Power of Christ. And that "enemy land" will not go away by choosing to ignore it. The way to rid ourselves of such enemies is to turn them into our friends by introducing them to Christ.
Our Lord is asking us to love him so much that we will risk failure for him, look foolish for him; even go to hell and back for him - if that's what it takes! If you are not willing to be a failure for Christ, you will never be much of a success for him either. When the fear of failure holds us back, then Christ cannot have his way in our lives. Be audacious for the sake of the Kingdom. Think big! Sow bountifully and reap bountifully. If you invest a little, you will get a little in return. But if you invest a lot, you will get a lot in return.
A story was once told about a six year old boy who went out in the street between Sunday school and the worship service, where an elderly lady just happened to be passing by. As he reached up and took her by the hand, he said, "Lady, would you like to come to church with me? We have a fine church and I'm sure you would enjoy it." How could anyone refuse such a straightforward request? We need to have that kind of childlike boldness in witnessing. Like those early disciples, we need to unashamedly confront people with the claims of Christ upon their lives. The Apostles prayed an earth-shaking prayer for boldness to witness in the face of opposition. When told by the high priest not to preach about Jesus, Peter and the other apostles said, "We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29 REV) Those of us who bear the name of Christ need to be at least as daring in our witness as the man who was shortchanged in his pay envelope. He returned to the payroll clerk and said, "You gave me five dollars too little this week." To which the clerk replied, "Last week I gave you five dollars too much and you didn't complain then." And the man answered, "Well, one mistake I can overlook, but two in a row ..."
"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Robert Browning wrote. It isn't very likely that we will ever accomplish all that we set out to do in this life. But by setting our sights higher, by dreaming big dreams and then seeking to build solid foundations under them, we will accomplish much more than we would have otherwise.
Take up your cross - it'll make you undefeatable! But that doesn't mean it will make you invulnerable. A cross, if rightly understood, is a crude and bloody thing. It is an instrument of pain and death. It holds its victims up for ridicule and shame. It is normally to he scorned, hated, and shunned. But our Lord took that cross and transformed it with his own blood into a symbol of hope, forgiveness, and salvation. He made it a symbol of victory over death and turned it into a symbol of life. And through the cross, Christ bids us follow him in his way of redemptive love. He told us that nothing would have more appeal to the hardened hearts of mankind than his death upon the cross. He said, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself." (John 12:32 RSV)
The cross is both the symbol of our sinful condition and of our hope for deliverance from sin and death. It demonstrates the very worst that people in their sin can do. And it shows us what the love of God can do. People in their sin destroyed the most beautiful life that ever lived, but God in his love raised him up! The way of the cross is the way of the Christ. And it must also be our way if we would be true followers of his.
Robert Frost wrote, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." The road less traveled by may not seem like the easiest or most sensible way. And it certainly isn't the most popular route. But it is the way that makes the crucial difference in our lives. And I want to be one of those few who travel that narrow way through Samaria. I want to be one of those people who travel the way of the cross, because that is the way my Savior goes, and above all else, I want to be with him.
One final observation I'd like to make about the sower of the seed is that he seemed confident of the outcome of his efforts, he didn't allow the fear of losing some seed in hardened places, to the wild birds, and in briars and thistles keep him from his appointed task. Why? Because the harvest is sure. William Barclay claims that this is the whole point of the parable: the certainty of the harvest. Some people will harden their hearts and fail to really hear and understand the Good News. Others will accept it eagerly, but only as long as it is the popular thing to do. Some will receive it, but attempt to serve both God and material wealth and thus stunt their growth. And when people stop growing, they soon wither away and die. But there will be others, our Lord assures us, who will receive the Good News joyfully, cling to it boldly, and grow up into full maturity.
Therefore the harvest is sure. The victory belongs to Christ. He knows his sheep by name. He has overcome the world and is calling people in every age to follow him. And you and I can have a part in extending his call to others. We can share in his joy as some people respond favorably to the gospel. But we must not hold ourselves personally responsible for the outcome. The sower's job is simply to sow. We are not alone in this task. The very Spirit of Christ is with us. Our resurrected Lord told his first. disciples, "Go, therefore ... and make all nations my disciples." Then he left them and he leaves us with this promise, "And he assured, I am with you always, to the end of time." (Matthew 28:20 NEB) As we make our way into the world with God's wondrously Good News, may we travel with an awareness that we never walk alone. The Lord of Life has promised to be with us.
Perhaps this is why Christ is only a second-hand rumor for some people. Because they have failed to tell others about him, the presence of Christ is no longer real to them. But the way to help him become real to us is to share him with others. The way to keep him alive for us is to give him away!
Right now Jesus Christ wants you to risk failure and ridicule by seeking to share him with others. He is calling you to take up your cross and follow him along that narrow path through some personal Samaria. How will you respond? Will you say, "Yes, Lord, I'll go with you all the way. I'll do anything and risk everything for your Kingdom's sake"? Will you take up your cross and follow him?
In Luke 8:4-8, our Lord tells a parable about "the sower and the seed" to illustrate the proclaiming of the Word and human response. It is curious to note the audacious, almost reckless way in which the seed is sown. The sower must have been really throwing wildly, because we are told that some seed fell on the footpath, some on shallow rocky ground, some among thistles, and some in good soil.
To many people the sower's haphazard way of sowing would appear wasteful. Couldn't he have been a little more careful? Couldn't he have waited until the conditions were a little more favorable? Couldn't he have waited until he gained a little more skill at sowing before undertaking such a task? Rather than risk failure or looking foolish, some people choose to do nothing at all. Their fear of what others will think paralyzes them.
But I have a question for people who are preoccupied with "playing it safe." For what are you saving yourself? Someone once said, "It is far better to wear out for the Lord than to rust out!" One day you may wake up to discover that life has passed you by. Opportunity may have knocked on your door, but you refused to answer. Some people, when they grow old, look back on their past and regret what they have done. But you may well regret even more what you have not done!
The fact of the matter is that while many people are busy "playing it safe," our Lord calls us to risk all on the cosmic gamble that his way of life is the only way to live. He said, "If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind; day after day he must take up his
cross, and come with me." (Luke 9:23 NEB) That old self with all its fears and prejudices, its antiquated and deadly way of thinking, would like to hold us back. It would have us seeking to preserve our flesh and therefore cause us to lose Life Eternal. But our Lord said that we must deny that old self by following him on a regular daily basis. We cannot adequately deal with our old nature by focusing attention on it. The only way to deal with it is by focusing our attention on Christ. I shall never forget how the choir in a church which I often visited as a youth always began their Sunday evening Service by singing,
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in his marvelous face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim -
In the light of his glory and grace.
This is the secret of the victorious life: looking to the Master of Life for strength and direction.
If I focus my attention on Christ Jesus, if I seek first his Kingdom in my life, if I seek daily and continually to follow him, then nothing can ultimately defeat me. As Frank Laubach wrote, "There is no defeat unless one loses God, and then all is defeat, though it be housed in castles and buried in fortunes." As long as I am able to maintain that vital contact with the living and present Lord, then nothing can drag me down. For the victory that overcomes the world is my faith - not in myself - but in Christ. But just let me break contact with him, and, like Peter on the waves of that storm-tossed sea, I begin to sink. (Matthew 14:22-33) And in those times my only way of escape is to cry out as Peter did, "Lord, save me! Lord, save me!" And as I stretch forth my hand, I always discover anew the glorious fact that Christ is also reaching out for me to lift me up to new life.
Following Jesus is risky business at best, and this is why he spoke of a cross. One morning when they woke up, some of the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, what are we going to do today?" Simon the Zealot said, "Lord, are we going to preach about the Kingdom today? I just love it when you preach about the Kingdom!" And Simon Peter said, "Lord, are you going to tell us where to fish today? I just love to go fishing with you because you always know where the big ones are." And then James and John came around and said, "Lord, are you going to call down fire from heaven on some unresponsive congregation today? I'd just love to see you do that!" And someone else asked, "Lord, are you going to heal the sick and raise the dead today? I sure would like to see you do that again!" And on it went, each disciple expressing his own interests.
But in the end they all grew silent and looked to Jesus for an answer, and he said, "No, men, we're not going to do any of those things today. Today, we're going on a trip. We're going to leave Judaea and go up to Galilee. And we will be taking the short-cut through Samaria. "Through Samaria!" all the disciples shouted. That's unfriendly territory. Jews like us aren't welcomed there. There are people in Samaria who don't believe the way we do. There are people who don't see things the way we do. There are all kinds of foreigners, people whose customs are strange to us, in Samaria. That is the land of our enemies. Can't we go the long way around and avoid all of the trouble?"
Now, of course, this is a highly exaggerated account of the beginning of the fourth chapter of John's Gospel. And, admittedly, a lot of imagination was used to create the dialogue. But the Bible gives us our Lord's response to their probable objections. "He had to pass through Samaria," it says. (John 4:5 NEB) And if he hadn't, that woman at the well would never have heard of the Living Water that only Christ can give - and neither would her fellow villagers who became believers because of her testimony.
People in Samaria need Christ, too! There is usually another road to travel besides the one our Lord travels. There is always an easier path than his. But his path, although the going is a little rougher and the traveling is a little harder and the risks are a little greater, is the only one that leads to life. All other roads may promise smoother riding, but they are dead-end trails. Going the long way around may seem like the safe, sane, and sensible thing to do at the moment, but "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." (Proverbs 14:12 RSV)
And so, our Lord speaks to us of a cross and a narrow way that only a few dare walk. But those who dare, win! When Christ talks about taking up our cross daily, I think he's saying that because we have decided to live with him and follow him, we are going to be called upon to take some risks that we wouldn't otherwise have to take. And we are going to be asked to stand some hurt and pain and suffer some personal inconvenience that we could otherwise avoid.
Although it might seem safer to do good works and speak of God in our own community among our friends, we are being asked to risk entering enemy territory. It might seem more sensible and less controversial to skirt a particular issue or wink our eye at some sin, but the way out is always through and never around. Sin is not overcome by denying its existence, but by facing it in the Power of Christ. And that "enemy land" will not go away by choosing to ignore it. The way to rid ourselves of such enemies is to turn them into our friends by introducing them to Christ.
Our Lord is asking us to love him so much that we will risk failure for him, look foolish for him; even go to hell and back for him - if that's what it takes! If you are not willing to be a failure for Christ, you will never be much of a success for him either. When the fear of failure holds us back, then Christ cannot have his way in our lives. Be audacious for the sake of the Kingdom. Think big! Sow bountifully and reap bountifully. If you invest a little, you will get a little in return. But if you invest a lot, you will get a lot in return.
A story was once told about a six year old boy who went out in the street between Sunday school and the worship service, where an elderly lady just happened to be passing by. As he reached up and took her by the hand, he said, "Lady, would you like to come to church with me? We have a fine church and I'm sure you would enjoy it." How could anyone refuse such a straightforward request? We need to have that kind of childlike boldness in witnessing. Like those early disciples, we need to unashamedly confront people with the claims of Christ upon their lives. The Apostles prayed an earth-shaking prayer for boldness to witness in the face of opposition. When told by the high priest not to preach about Jesus, Peter and the other apostles said, "We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29 REV) Those of us who bear the name of Christ need to be at least as daring in our witness as the man who was shortchanged in his pay envelope. He returned to the payroll clerk and said, "You gave me five dollars too little this week." To which the clerk replied, "Last week I gave you five dollars too much and you didn't complain then." And the man answered, "Well, one mistake I can overlook, but two in a row ..."
"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Robert Browning wrote. It isn't very likely that we will ever accomplish all that we set out to do in this life. But by setting our sights higher, by dreaming big dreams and then seeking to build solid foundations under them, we will accomplish much more than we would have otherwise.
Take up your cross - it'll make you undefeatable! But that doesn't mean it will make you invulnerable. A cross, if rightly understood, is a crude and bloody thing. It is an instrument of pain and death. It holds its victims up for ridicule and shame. It is normally to he scorned, hated, and shunned. But our Lord took that cross and transformed it with his own blood into a symbol of hope, forgiveness, and salvation. He made it a symbol of victory over death and turned it into a symbol of life. And through the cross, Christ bids us follow him in his way of redemptive love. He told us that nothing would have more appeal to the hardened hearts of mankind than his death upon the cross. He said, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself." (John 12:32 RSV)
The cross is both the symbol of our sinful condition and of our hope for deliverance from sin and death. It demonstrates the very worst that people in their sin can do. And it shows us what the love of God can do. People in their sin destroyed the most beautiful life that ever lived, but God in his love raised him up! The way of the cross is the way of the Christ. And it must also be our way if we would be true followers of his.
Robert Frost wrote, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." The road less traveled by may not seem like the easiest or most sensible way. And it certainly isn't the most popular route. But it is the way that makes the crucial difference in our lives. And I want to be one of those few who travel that narrow way through Samaria. I want to be one of those people who travel the way of the cross, because that is the way my Savior goes, and above all else, I want to be with him.
One final observation I'd like to make about the sower of the seed is that he seemed confident of the outcome of his efforts, he didn't allow the fear of losing some seed in hardened places, to the wild birds, and in briars and thistles keep him from his appointed task. Why? Because the harvest is sure. William Barclay claims that this is the whole point of the parable: the certainty of the harvest. Some people will harden their hearts and fail to really hear and understand the Good News. Others will accept it eagerly, but only as long as it is the popular thing to do. Some will receive it, but attempt to serve both God and material wealth and thus stunt their growth. And when people stop growing, they soon wither away and die. But there will be others, our Lord assures us, who will receive the Good News joyfully, cling to it boldly, and grow up into full maturity.
Therefore the harvest is sure. The victory belongs to Christ. He knows his sheep by name. He has overcome the world and is calling people in every age to follow him. And you and I can have a part in extending his call to others. We can share in his joy as some people respond favorably to the gospel. But we must not hold ourselves personally responsible for the outcome. The sower's job is simply to sow. We are not alone in this task. The very Spirit of Christ is with us. Our resurrected Lord told his first. disciples, "Go, therefore ... and make all nations my disciples." Then he left them and he leaves us with this promise, "And he assured, I am with you always, to the end of time." (Matthew 28:20 NEB) As we make our way into the world with God's wondrously Good News, may we travel with an awareness that we never walk alone. The Lord of Life has promised to be with us.
Perhaps this is why Christ is only a second-hand rumor for some people. Because they have failed to tell others about him, the presence of Christ is no longer real to them. But the way to help him become real to us is to share him with others. The way to keep him alive for us is to give him away!
Right now Jesus Christ wants you to risk failure and ridicule by seeking to share him with others. He is calling you to take up your cross and follow him along that narrow path through some personal Samaria. How will you respond? Will you say, "Yes, Lord, I'll go with you all the way. I'll do anything and risk everything for your Kingdom's sake"? Will you take up your cross and follow him?
