The centrality of the cross ( The place where the sinner is crucified)

Numbers 21:4-9. When the Israelite sinned against God and God sent venomous snakes amongst them, they asked Moses to pray that “The Lord would take away the snakes from among them”.

Why was there the venomous snakes amongst them? what was the cause of these snakes?

First thing we notice here is that they rebelled against God. They were impatient, they murmured against God and Moses.  Have you been murmuring against God and your pastor? Have you been impatient even in your troubles? Have you rebelled against God?

The snake came because of these sinful attitude. Walk in the will of God to find light!

Read Psalms 91 and you will know that God protects those who love Him.

·         Walk with God for your security. Assurance in the life of Job was based on his walk with God. The assurance of the Jews as they left Egypt was to walk with God.

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          What is wrong in the prayer request of the Jews to Moses? God wanted a permanent solution for their problem but they wanted a temporal solution. Will removing the snake from among them change their attitude? The snake came because they rebelled against God and murmured. They did not want to deal with this and repent but they wanted the snake away from them. The psalmist says a thousand will fall on your side, ten thousand will fall on your right hand but nothing will touch you. You will walk on snakes and scorpions but not hurt because God will send His angels to take care over you IF YOU LOVE HIM.

·         God wanted them to walk among snakes or troubles but be victorious, but they never understood. Are you in trouble? God may want you to walk through your troubles but be victorious. Yes, you are living in fornication, but you are praying that God should not bring beautiful ladies or handsome men around you. You missed the point. More beautiful ladies and handsome men will be born, many will be around you, what you need is for God to help you deal with that your sinful nature. That desire for women to whom you are not married. That desire for men to whom you are not married. You will continue to see more beautiful ladies and handsome men here in church and around town. Deal with your sin and crucify it at the cross.

Jesus Christ’s crucifixion is God’s power and wisdom (1 Cor 1:17). Do you want power? Go to the cross. You want wisdom from God? Go to the cross. Just as Moses raised the bronze snake for the people to look and be healed. Jesus Christ was crucified for us to look up to Him and be healed and live. This is the permanent solution which God has given us.

Col 2:13 says all our sins were forgiven even when we were sinners. Why are you praying for the same sin over and over? The Devil wants you to think you were not forgiven your sins. Are you sure? Are you realy sure? He wants you to doubt God’s word and what Jesus did at the cross.

Let’s read verse 14 of Colossians 2 "having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross". He cancelled the charges of our legal indebtedness. This debt that condemned us because the wages of sin is dead. And Jesus took it away and nailed it to the cross.

The Message Bible reads “the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross.” Our debts including charges where whipped away on the cross. He did not pay the debt without interest. He paid everything including interest whipping away what was written on the slate against us. The arrest warrant canceled. We are no longer going to die because of our sins because Jesus nailed it to the cross. Yes the debt was legal and the payment was complete and free for us.

Do you still think you can work and merit your salvation? Jesus paid it all and nailed it at the cross.  

·         Have you crucified the old man with him at the cross? (Romans 6:6, Gal 5:24)

·         Have you been crucified with Christ so that you no longer live but Christ living in you? Gal 2:20

·         Can you boast of the cross of Jesus Christ? Gal 6:14

The centrality of the Cross (the terminal point for sin and taking point of a new life)

       Colossian 2:11

Col 2:11 “In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,..”  How did I find myself in Him? When was I circumcised in Him? How did this take place?

Circumcision is the cutting off of the male human foreskin. Medical science has shown that a child who is not circumcised is more susceptible to infections than the one circumcised. I remember in the village our mothers would talk of mbororo disease. In fact they meant venereal diseases which were rampant to mbororo people because their males are never circumcised. Medical science has proven that to be true. So physically, circumcision protects the child. The parallel in the spiritual realm is that we were circumcised in Christ and our protection is in Christ.

Isaiah 53:6 makes us know that our iniquity (singular) was laid on Christ. We became in union with Christ at the cross. That is where we find our union with Christ. We were all sinners and the wages of sin is death and nothing else. But God laid on Christ the iniquity of us all. Here the Bible is talking of iniquity not iniquities. Iniquities would mean sins, but iniquity (singular) here would mean the sinful nature. That producer of sin. God wanted to handle the problem from the root, destroying the base that it may be permanent. When Jesus Christ drank the cup at Gethsemane to take our sin to the cross, we were united in Him, he took everything to the cross. Col 2:11 makes us know that the sinful nature was put off when we were circumcised by Christ. It is not circumcision made by human hands.

How did He circumcise us? By immersion into Baptism. Verse 12 makes us know that it is in the burial through Baptism in Christ and the resurrection with Him through our faith in the working of God, who raised Jesus from the dead. Baptism in itself is an obedient response to the grace of God but salvation takes place in the spiritual realm where God washes away our sins in the cleansing blood of Jesus (Acts 22:16). There is no magic in the waters of baptism. No one merits salvation, but by God’s grace He pronounces one cleansed of sins bringing us into a covenant relationship with God.

Galatians 5:24 “ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” So in Christ we have crucified the sinful nature. So the flesh (that sinful nature) was taken away with its desires on the cross.

Do you understand what I mean?

·       That Hereditary curses were crucified at the cross?

·         Hereditary diseases were crucified at the cross (diabetes, cancer etc)

·         Inherited sin (idol worship, fornication etc) are crucified at the cross. Have you ever heard that people worship idols because they inherited from their parents? Have you ever heard that someone has the blood of fornication? That their family is a line of fornicators? Is it strange to hear me say they are inherited? No!

Only if you would come to the cross. The cross is the terminal point for the flesh (sinful nature). The cross is therefore a taking point of a new life in Christ Jesus. Why do you keep on casting and binding, losing ancestral chains when God tells you that he dealt with them long ago at the cross?  The Devil’s strategy is to keep you in doubt so that you do not apprehend the centrality of the cross and be freed.

1 Corinthians 15:45,49 makes us know that the first Adam became a living being and the last Adam , a life-giving spirit. We inherit life from Christ just as we inherited from Adam the sinful nature. Inherited sickness is gone and life inherited from Christ. Are you still afraid? Some Christians still say my sickness, my trouble , my my my... Christ dealt with it long ago. You have to believe and receive it. Remember, you must be in Christ.

Read: The centrality of the cross (the place where the sinner is crucified)

Shalom!

The cross: What is the cross?

When looking at this topic one needs to answer some questions that come to mind. What is the cross? What comes into your mind when you see the cross? Where is the cross used today? In cemetery, on coffins, in pharmacies, and in churches. What does it signify to you? When we talk on the centrality of the cross we mean the focal point. The cross is the focal point to Christian life.

Historically, as an instrument of death the cross was detested by the Jews. "Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree" (Gal 3:13; compare Dt 21:23), hence, it became a stumbling-block to them, for how could one accursed of God be their Messiah? This was regarded as the most horrible form of death. This punishment began by subjecting the sufferer to scourging. In the case of our Lord, however, his scourging was rather before the sentence was passed upon him, and was inflicted by Pilate for the purpose, probably, of exciting pity and procuring his escape from further punishment (Luke 23:22; John 19:1). The condemned one carried his own cross to the place of execution, which was outside the city, in some conspicuous place set apart for the purpose. Before the nailing to the cross took place, a medicated cup of vinegar mixed with gall and myrrh (the sopor) was given, for the purpose of deadening the pangs of the sufferer. Our Lord refused this cup, that his senses might be clear (Matt. 27:34). The spongeful of vinegar, sour wine, posca, the common drink of the Roman soldiers, which was put on a hyssop stalk and offered to our Lord in contemptuous pity (Matt. 27:48; Luke 23:36), he tasted to allay the agonies of his thirst (John 19:29). The accounts given of the crucifixion of our Lord are in entire agreement with the customs and practices of the Roman in such cases. He literally died of a broken heart, a ruptured heart, and hence the flowing of blood and water from the wound made by the soldier's spear (John 19:34).

If we want to grow in our love for God, which is the first and greatest commandment, then we must be growing to understand and appreciate the cross, which shows us His great love. If we want to grow in godliness, we must grow in understanding the significance of the cross, which confronts the most prevalent and insidious of all sins, namely, pride.

The cross is the place where all the wounds of sin are healed. If you suffer from emotional problems--guilt, anxiety, depression, anger, or whatever--there is healing in the cross of Christ. Keeping the cross of Christ central will protect you from the many winds of false doctrine blowing in our day. Satan hates the cross because it sealed his doom and he is relentless in his attacks to undermine and thwart the cross. Every cult or false teaching in some way diminishes the work of Christ on the cross and magnifies human ability.

1 Peter 2:24-25 makes us know that Through Christ’s death on the cross, those who turn to Him are delivered from both the penalty and the power of sin.

Testimony of the true light

 John 1:6-9

 Introduction:   

The apostle John introduces another man, sent from God to bear witness. This is John the Baptist. This John was sent by God for a special purpose (Malachi 3:1). To bear witness of the light. He was not the light but just a witness so that all through him might believe. He had the same goal like the apostle John, so that all may believe the true light.

   1)      A faithful witness or messenger

A true messenger’s work is to pass on the message. As all prophets, John the Baptist did not call attention to himself. He came to announce the coming of one after him (John 3:25-36, 5:33-35). His aim was for people to believe in Jesus Christ not him.

   2)      What was he bearing witness to?

That Jesus is the light that proceeded from God. Jesus is the only true light because that’s the only one who was sent directly from God. So Jesus cannot be compared with Moses or Elijah and John himself. Jesus was not one in a succession of prophets or sons of God whom God has sent into the world. He is the only Son of God who came from God to reveal to man the one true God.

   3)      John the Baptist confessed that Jesus is the Christ

In John 1:20 he says “I am not the Christ”. When the Jews asked him “Who are you?”. The name Jew at the time when John wrote this gospel referred to the disobedient Jews of the Israelite nation.

Surely, the Sanhedrin had sent these guys to inquire of John in the wilderness as multitudes were following him to hear what he was preaching in the wilderness. The man who wore camel’s hair clothing and ate locusts (Matthew 3:1-12, Luke 3:1-20)

Many preachers today with pride would love to be called Bishop, apostle, papa, etc and some go as far as giving their pictures for the people to hang around. They call the attention to them rather than pointing to the cross of Jesus that saves.

John the Baptist said I am not the Christ! I am not Elijah and I am not the prophet.

a.       From Malachi 4:5 Israel was looking for the one who will come in the spirit and power of Elijah. Some thought Elijah would be resurrected literally to be the forefunner of the Messiah. So John the Baptist gave them a literal answer to the literal question. But the truth is that John the Baptist was the fulfilment of Malachi 4:5; which meant that John came with the zeal of Elijah and the power of a prophet among the people (Mtt 11:14, 17:10-13, Lk 1:17). John the Baptist refused to call the attention to him but Christ, and so he was not deviated from his goal. He did not go ahead to explain the details to them so that they see him and the forerunner or a prophet. He pointed to Christ! Many people were looking for a messiah who would restore the physical kingdom and so the misunderstanding of the prophecy will also hinder them from seeing the true light, the messiah.

b.      John said he was not the prophet. This is in reference to Deuteronomy 18:15-18. Israel was looking for the prophet whom Moses said would come after him. After Moses, there were many prophets but the one that was like unto him was Jesus. That is why in John 6:14, the people said this is the prophet who is to came when they saw Jesus’ miracles (John 7:40, Act 3:19-23, 7:37)

So Moses was prophesying of a specific prophet, not a succession of prophets who would come after him. Jesus is the fulfilment of that prophecy. You now understand why John the Baptist said I am not the prophet; but he was a prophet.

Application:

We are called to proclaim how Jesus called us into his marvelous light. How we obtained His mercy.

·         The prophets faithfully bore witness of the light

·         The followers of Christ (apostles and early disciples)

What about us today?

Do we bear witness of the light by our unity with one another?

Do we bear witness of the light through transformed lives?

Do we bear witness of the light through proclaiming the word?

The purpose of bearing witness is for others to believe in Jesus Christ. Do we help or hinder those around us from believing?

Do not quench God’s effort to bring many into the marvelous light.

2Cor 4:6 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”.

Eph 5:8 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

Shalom!

Jesus, The life and light of men

 John 1:4-5

 Introduction:  Lioyd Jones asked these questions “Why did the son of God, the word ever come to this world? Why was it that he must die to save us? Why did God not use the prophets to save us by the law given through Moses?

Because there’s something wrong in us.

·         We are not only wrong in understanding Jesus, we’re wrong in our way of trying to know him.

·         We’ve failed to understand that it’s Jesus who gives life to all even the created things in heaven

·         He is the light of men. So he’s the one to give spiritual understanding of God to man.

A Jesus is life

 He is the creator and sustainer of life

   a)      All things Were made by him  Col 1:16

   b)      All things hold together by him col 1:17

Without him, nothing was made

In him was life itself. Therefore he gives us hope for our own resurrection John 5:21, 11:25

John wants us to understand that all physical life originated from the word and so we must understand from his teachings in the whole book that all spiritual life also originate from the word.

It is the spiritual life which originate from the word that brings light to that which was created (John 3:19-21; 8:12, 12:35)

B Jesus is Light

·         We live in a world of darkness

·         People spend their lives in ignorance

·         Separated from God because of ignorance Eph 4:17-19

·         Jesus offers the light of life to us (John 8:12) So he calls us to be sons of light. John 12:35-36

The world made in the beginning was good and God saw that is was good. It was light, but the present world is full of darkness. Sin has come into the world. That’s why the light brought by the son of God could not be understood.

When you are in Christ, you have come out of darkness into light. We have come out of ignorance into light. Ignorance of God, even though God has revealed himself in creation, man has still entered into rebellion. We want to explain it by change, by evolution while keeping God away from the scene. We do not have any excuse.

Until man understands that the world is God’s world and that God made it to respect certain rules, we’ll continue in the darkness, with wars, natural disasters, climate change etc.

Man is too proud that he even things he is an animal that has evolved for years.

Man must understand that he was created by God with a soul which will return to the creator someday.

The world thinks our intelligence can make us God. Man is living in darkness and darkness is inside man (Gen 6:5, Ro 1:18-21).

Application:

1-      Many people resist the life and light Jesus offers

a.       Darkness has not understood the light. Even when some of us get into darkness, instead of shining the light, we become dark. Jesus calls us to be light to the world

b.      Some try to avoid Jesus. They don’t want to change their lifestyle (John 3:19-20)

What is the darkness in your life that does not understand the light? If you think that what we need is just a teacher, then you do not need Jesus. If you think what you need is a doctrine then you have failed. You do not understand what the light has come to do in the mist of sin.

2-      For those who want to come to Jesus

a.       He offers hope and guidance in this life Micah 5:4-5a

b.      He is capable of keeping his promises Matthew 11:28-30

There is no other source of light that will direct man to the source of life than that which originates from the word, Jesus. He says “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father but through me”(Jn 14:6).  “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). 

Come to the light!

Shalom!

Jesus is God

 John 1:1-3

 Introduction: John the apostle is the writer of this book as we can see from these texts. John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:20 where he writes that the apostle whom Jesus loved. Further in John 21:24 he says that the disciple whom Jesus loved was also an eye witness and he is the one who wrote these things down. The   purpose of this book is seen in John 20:30-31. Therefore he wrote this so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God and by believing we may have life in his name. He therefore wrote these characteristics of Jesus to make the reader know whom Jesus is.

Jesus is the Word: Verse1

In the beginning was the word and in verse 14 of this chapter, John says the word became flesh. John is writing about someone he heard teaching, he moved with Jesus and touched him. He is not writing an imaginary story. Jesus’ mother lived with John in the last part of her life (John 19:26-27)

He wants us to know all about Jesus from his very first verse. The eternal majesty and deity is the creator of the universe. This is what John wants us to capture in order to feel the way they felt at that time.

John wants us to recognize the infinite majesty of Jesus Christ so that we may read this with worship, humility, submissiveness and awe that the man at the wedding party or the man at the well or the man on the mountain is the creator of the universe. John is not making a mistake but wants us to know that this man was with God in the beginning, He was God, he is the one who laid his life for us (John 15:13), and is the creator.

Why call Jesus the Word?

Because he is the truth of God and

His word is truth of God

He came to witness to the truth (John 18:37) and He was the truth (John 14:6)

Rev 19:13 says the one who judges is the word and from Rev 19:15 we get that from his mouth is a sharp sword. Ephesians 6:17 makes us know that the sword of the spirit is the word of God. So we can now understand why John called Jesus the word.

Jesus existed before creation

In the beginning was the word (ie before creation). Jude also confirms the everlasting nature of Jesus in Jude 1:25. Paul in his second letter to Timothy reiterate that we received grace through Jesus before time began. Therefore, before anytime or matter ever existed there was the word, Jesus Christ, the son of God.

The word was God (Identity of Jesus)

The Jewish Pharisees understood in John 10:33 when they accused him of blasphemy making himself God. He is our savior, our Lord and our God. Jesus is everlasting, he created everything and existed before matter and time were created.

The word was with God

The word, Jesus Christ was with God and he was God. He is God and he is the image of God, a perfect representation of all that God is (The fullness of God). There is just one essence of God but three persons. Two are mentioned here; the father and the son. If you throw away the deity of Jesus Christ, then you throw away your soul. Then what you mean is that Jesus could not accomplish your salvation (Heb 2:14-15).

All things were made through him verses 2-3

He was the father’s agent or word in the creation of all things. But in doing it, he was God. God, the word, created the world. Our savior, Lord, friend and maker

Jesus was not created (made) vs3

“Without him was not anything made that was made”. So Christ was not made since he made everything that was made. Before you exist you can’t bring yourself into being. That is what it means to be God (He was not made). And the word was God.

Unfortunately, some people have not realized the deity of Christ and so cannot submit or worship him. They think Jesus is just like any good teacher and so it suffices for them to find a good moral teacher and all will be well. No! they are living in darkness. They cannot understand the light that has come. They can only realize whom Jesus is if they know the situation of mankind as concerns sin and why man has to be redeemed.

It is not yet late, you can still accept Jesus as you savior, Lord and God. He will restore you. You need to submit to his teachings, the truth about God and who he is.

Shalom!

FAREWELL TO MOSES AND COMMISSIONING OF JOSHUA (DEUTERONOMY 31:1-8)

                It is always a difficult thing to speak when you want to say farewell to your friends and family. I have seen and witness people crying when they are about to leave their loved ones for a   while. I saw someone who was so excited to go abroad when following up her visa, but while at the airport, she burst into tiers because she was leaving the ones she loved so much. It is never a happy day when we leave our friends. Welcomes are always the happy events

MOSES IS HANDING OVER          

Our text makes us know that Moses’ life  was getting to an end, so his ministry with the Israelites was ending for someone to take over .two reasons  made it that, Moses could not lead the people to Canaan

   1)      Moses was 120 years old. Too old to enter Canaan with Israel because the coming years were to be years of war with the Canaanites. This Moses who had experienced spectacular events in the Egyptian palace right to the east banks of Jordan river, he now say he is too old to enter Canaan (vs 2a ). That is why we need to hand over to stronger and able people when we feel we can no longer do as we ought to. We need to hand over our power, our authority and even our ministry else what we started or were doing will never reach anywhere. If we want our work to endure for long we must prepare to hand over to others at the right time.

  2)      The second reason is that God had said to him “You will not go over the Jordan” (vs 2). God had banished Moses from crossing the Jordan because of his earlier sin at meribah (Numbers 20:8-12).    God asked Moses to take his staff and speak to the rock so that water will flow for the people to drink. But anger made Moses to disobey God. He was arrogant. Our arrogance may lead us away from God’s will. Being angry that the people have rebelled against God, Moses said. “Hear now, you rebels, must we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10b).Then he smote the rock twice with his staff instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord commanded. Two problems:

  a-      The statement of Moses did not bring glory to God (must we bring forth water).It was not Moses and Aaron that provided water to the people. It was by God’s power, to whom they were to give credit. Must at times we are fun of usurping God’s Glory even as Christians or leaders. We make people think we are the ones doing it when it is God’s doing, hence we stop people from glorifying God for what He is doing.

  b-      God said because you did not believe me. Moses had faith, but why did God say he did not believe? Believe is always manifested in actions. Moses allowed his frustrations with the people to cloud his actions in relation to what God commanded. Let us be careful.  Frustrated leaders often act contrary to the will of God when the people do not obey according to the will of God. Note that the sin of leadership is when leaders behave in a sinful manner in order to keep the people from sin. Illus: (I was teaching our youths some day in church and I took some time to tell them what I had gone through before my conversion and I encourage them to have their salvation testimony. A young sister came to me and said Pastor I think you should not tell them that. Her reason was that if we share our salvation testimonies it’ll stop others from receiving Christ. For her we should always be telling others how we are holy. If we pretend and lie to others that we were always holy, in order to bring them to Christ we fall in this sin of leadership. You must speak the truth. That is God’s will. He does not want us to lie in order to win souls. Whether they accept what you say or not, if it is God’s will, it is the truth and must be spoken. It remains truth! I therefore encourage you leaders to stand for the truth no matter what. And to you Christians do not frustrate your leaders else you will also be held responsible for pushing them into sin or putting stumbling blocks for the men of God. Woe to him who causes a man of God to stumble.

JOSHUA IS TAKING OVER FROM MOSES (verse 7, 8)

This is like a graduation ceremony. Commissioning Joshua not only for Joshua’s benefit but for all the people. That is why it was a public event. It was there to encourage the people so that they will remember God’s promises. Moses made them know that God will go with them even in his absence. This was spoken to the Israelites and it applies to us today who are the spiritual Israelites. God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Moses commends Joshua to them for a leader; one whose wisdom, and courage, and affection they had long known; one whom God had appointed to be their leader; and therefore would own and bless.

Joshua is well pleased to be admonished by Moses to be strong and of good courage. Those who have God with them shall speed well; therefore they ought to be of good courage. Through God let us do courageously, for through him we shall do victoriously; if we resist the devil, he will flee from us.

But how can you resist the devil without Christ? I tell you that it will not be possible for anyone to resist the devil if he/she does not have Christ. It is the power of Christ in you that can help you resist the devil. It is Christ in you that you can overcome sin. It is Christ in you that you can overcome evil. That is when you will realize that you were naked while in your sins. You can read about the healing of the man who was possessed with legions of demons in Luke 8:26-38 and you will understand what may be happening to you. You can know if you are under Christ’s control or under Satan’s control. People can also see from your fruits.

You may be coming to church every Sunday, you may be coming to prayer meetings every meeting day and you still do not have Christ and so he will not be with you. You may be lifting up your hands with other Christians in church as they are called to lift up holy hands unto the Lord but you have evil spirit. Spirit of lies telling, spirit of fornication etc. You are in the wrong place, like the man who was possessed. He was supposed to be with people but he was always going to the tombs. What are you doing in a man’s house when you are not married to him? What are you doing with that lady when you are not married to her? That is your spiritual tomb! Though he was chained, no one could control him. You may be that type who says, no one can tell me what to do. No one can advise you and you listen. Then you are like this man with chains but not under control. You need Jesus right now. This man ran to Jesus, cried out and fell at his feet.. (lk 8:28) and he addressed Jesus as the son of the Most High God. He recognized Christ but he was possessed. At times you inflict pain on yourself and you cry latter, you wonder why you did those things you did. What is controlling you? You need Jesus.

When this man was healed by Jesus, he recognized that he was naked and so he was given clothes to wear (lk8:35). Women, why are our ladies dressed today with open breasts or open navel? Do they realize that they are naked? When Jesus will touch you, you will request for a dress to wear. You need Christ to be free. You need Christ to enter your promise land and when you must have received Christ then the statement to be courageous will now be your portion. And God will not leave you nor forsake you.

Then our farewells will not be painful but Joy because we shall meet again in the Kingdom of God.