THE OFFENCE OF THE CROSS!

Last Sunday we saw some of the various benefits of the Cross. But, in spite of all these benefits, the world still stumbles over the Cross.

Know that we are living in a day when the message of the church is changing. The ministers are moving away from the old message of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ, and are moving toward a message of salvation through social activism and good works.

The old bloody message of the Cross is quickly being replaced by a bloodless message that lacks power and hope.

Instead of hearing the devastating, but life changing news that all men are sinners, people hear a message that tells them, “You're OK the way you are!"

So today, let's look at “THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS!” In Galatians 5:11 Apostle Paul said, “…if I still preach circumcision (what people like to hear), why do I still suffer persecution? Then is the OFFENSE OF THE CROSS ceased.”

“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23).

What exactly was Apostle Paul saying? He was saying that in his proclamation of the Gospel (in his preaching of the Cross), there is an offense. In order words, Paul was saying: “I can preach anything else, and there will be no offense.” But whenever I preach the Cross, it is an offense.

Here is the point: The test of whether someone is teaching the Cross rightly or wrongly is whether it is an offense to the natural man or not. If therefore, my preaching of the Cross is not an offense to the natural man, then I am misrepresenting the Cross. A Gospel that in no way offends the sinner is not the Gospel of Christ.

The offense of the Cross sounds strange to our modern ears because we have beautiful Crosses in our churches. We also have beautiful Crosses hanging on our necks. We have Crosses on the lapels of our coats. We have Crosses endorsed on our Bibles.

But we never think about it as a scandal in that wise, as an offense, and yet the Bible says it is a stumbling block; it is an offense.

Paul was saying that when he preached anything else, it was called popular. But whenever he preached the Cross or the blood of Jesus Christ, it was an offence. That is the thing people do not want to hear. That is the thing that is foolish.

So it is today. Yet the Cross is the very heart of the Gospel because without the Cross, there is no salvation; there is no forgiveness of sin. And if you have never been to the Cross, your sins have not been forgiven, and you are not saved.

Why then is the Cross an offense?

1. The Cross is an offense because it defies all human ability or merit.

Look at Galatians 5:11 in the NLT Version, “Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised, as some say I do, why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the Cross of Christ, no one would be offended.”

“So Christ has truly made us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace” (Gal. 5:1-4, NLT).

Apostle Paul said, “Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don't want to be persecuted for teaching that the Cross of Christ alone can save” (Gal. 6:12, NLT).

You are not saved because of good works. Here is the truth: without the Cross, there is no salvation. There is nothing you can do to merit salvation. Salvation is a free gift.

Jesus has done it all. All you need to do is to receive by faith what He has already done. That is the only way it works.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

2. The Cross of Christ is an offense because of its simplicity.

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 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. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:17-23).

Apostle Paul said, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:1-2).

Many are put off by the simplicity of the Message of the Cross. Apostle Paul was saying that if he did the preaching with the wisdom of words, then the Cross will lose its effect (1 Cor. 1:17). Intellectualism is not the Gospel.

The preaching of the Cross is foolishness to those that are perishing (those on their way to hell) (1 Cor. 1:18).

Yes it sounds foolish (nonsensical) indeed. But look at what God said in 1 Corinthians 1:18-20. Spiritual things cannot be discerned by unredeemed people, but that doesn’t matter; the Cross must be preached just the same.

Paul said, “When I came to you, I came not with the excellency of speech.” This means that Paul depended not on oratorical abilities, nor did he delve into philosophy, which was the rage of that particular day. Paul did not resort to the knowledge or philosophy of the world regarding the Preaching of the Gospel.

This Cross, this preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ is wiser than the wisdom of men of all ages, wiser than all the University professors put together. It is foolish to the world, but God says that this very foolishness is wiser than this world.

3. The Cross is so narrow.

Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

Jesus advised us saying, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Lk. 13:24).

And Jesus Christ is that strait (narrow) gate. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

4. The Cross of Christ is an offence because it is the condemnation of the world. The Cross is offensive because it convicts people of their sins. In other words, the Cross shows you (points out) your errors.

Many get offended when you tell them that Jesus is the only way to the Father. They tell you that you are so narrow minded. There are so many ways to God the Father.  Jesus is only but one of the ways you can get to the Father. That’s what they say.

The Cross is offensive because it directly confronts the evils that are so much in this world. In the first place, the Cross was for the execution of criminals by the Romans.

But Jesus was crucified there like a criminal which He was not. It is you and I that deserve judgment because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

Here is the point: When we go our own ways doing things according to our own desires, we go away from God.

Sin is a disease in the heart of man. It affects your mind, your will, your emotions, your desires and every fiber of your being.

The Cross says to the world, “You are sinners.” The Cross says to the one committing immorality, “You are an adulterer, a fornicator.”

The Cross said to the thief on the cross, “You are a criminal.” The thief on the cross quickly acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God, repented of his sins and Jesus instantly forgave him and went with him to Paradise the same day. The Cross condemned his sins and made him confess that he was a sinner.

The Cross said to the Centurion, “You are a sinner.” And the Roman Centurion acknowledged Him and said, “Surely, this must have been the Son of God.”

The Cross said to Herod, “You are an immoral man, you are committing adultery.” Herod drew back as with pain and didn’t like it. He eventually murdered John the Baptist.

The Cross said to Caiaphas: “you are a religious leader, but you are a sinner.” No matter what function you are performing in the Church, unless you have come to the Cross, repented of your sins, and received Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, you are on your way to hell.

We have a lot of religious leaders who have not come to the Cross yet. Nicodemus was one of them. They are not going to Heaven. Do not follow them.

Caiaphas was a religious leader but he helped crucify Jesus. The Pharisees were religious leaders. They fasted twice a week. They have read the Scriptures from cover to cover, yet they have not come to the Cross.

That’s why Jesus said that on the last day, He is going to tell them, “I never knew you, depart from Me ye workers of iniquity.”

Look at Pilate. The Cross said to Pilate, “You are a coward, Pilate. You are a sinner” Even when you didn’t find any fault with Jesus (Jn. 18:38), you still handed Him over to be scourged, humiliated and then crucified (Jn. 19:1). And Plate didn’t like it. He cringed and tried to run from the Saviour.

What of Apostle Peter? The Cross said to Peter, “You are a liar, Peter.” Peter denied Jesus 

3 times in spite of his promise that he will never do that (Lk. 22:56-58). What of Judas? 

The Cross said to Judas, “You are covetous, and covetousness is idolatry.” Judas had been in Jesus’ Team for three years. He has heard all the sermons Jesus preached. Yet Judas was lost in the end because of covetousness. He never had a personal revelation of the person of Jesus Christ. He never came to the Cross by faith.

It is possible to be in the religious organization that Christ founded and yet go to hell. If Judas who was travelling with Jesus for three years was lost, that should cause all of us to diligently search our hearts.

The Cross said to all the soldiers that gambled for His garments, “You are sinners.” Certainly they didn’t like it, and that was why they did not repent.

What about Felix who was looking for a bribe from Apostle Paul while he was in Prison? The Cross said to Felix, “You are a sinner.”

Looking at the conscience of the world, the Cross says to us all, “You are sinners.” The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

So when I come to the foot of the Cross, the first thing I should say is, “I am a sinner.”

The Scripture says, “Men loved darkness because their deeds are evil.” Jesus said, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (Jn. 3:17-21).

You don’t want the light of the Cross, and consequently the Cross becomes a stumbling block to you. It becomes foolish to those that do not want to repent. When you realize that you must acknowledge that you are a sinner. When you realize that you must confess and give up your sins,

And you say no, no, and you draw back in anger, and go back to your darkness, and the light of the Cross tries to penetrate into your pride, into your extortion, into your idolatry, into your witchcraft, into your lust, into your adultery, into the sins in your life, and the Cross sends a beam of light, and you say: “No, no, no, don’t expose me.”

And the Cross goes down into the dark recesses of your heart, where no one can ever access, down deep on the inside of you, and sees the sins and exposes them to the light.

And Jesus said, “Every secret thing shall be revealed” (Lk. 8:17). And the Cross says, “You are a sinner in need of repentance.” And the Cross becomes a stumbling block to you.

Why is the Cross an offense? It is an offense to all of us that are sinners, because we don’t like to be told that we are sinners in need of a Saviour.

We don’t like to acknowledge that we have broken God’s law. You see, we are all proud, we don’t like to come to the old rugged Cross where the blood is being shed, and say, “O God, I am a sinner.” Please purge my conscience from dead works and forgive me all my sins. 

Wash me with the blood flowing down from Immanuel’s veins.

We don’t like to do that because we do not want to come in humility. Responding to altar call is not only an expression of your will. It is also an expression of your humility.

And the same Cross speaks to you about your sins today, because you know that immorality is your sin.

5. The Cross of Christ is an offense because it makes definite demands from you (Mk. 8:34). One of the reasons why the Cross is an offense is because it DEMANDS (not suggest) a new lifestyle. And this is one of the greatest things people have against the Cross because they want Christ but they do not want to give up their sin partners etc.

6. The Cross of Jesus Christ is an offence because blood was shed there. But the Scripture says, “The life of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11).

And you say, “But what does the blood mean?” The word “blood” means the life of Christ. 

The life of Jesus Christ given on the Cross. He emptied Himself for us on the Cross. He took our sins on the Cross and became our Substitute.

There are many things about the Cross that I don’t yet understand. But one thing I know is that it is the only way of salvation. And I am to come to the Cross by faith, even though it may seem foolish, unpopular, people may even laugh at it. But God said, “He has chosen to preaching of the Cross as the only way to bring men to Himself” (1 Cor. 1).

7. The Cross of Christ is an offense because it claims to be the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). And it makes this claim without an alternative.

You see, the world would like to say that there are many ways to God, and we will all eventually get there. But Jesus said, “No! There is only one way.” And that is by the road of the Cross! The Father has said, “I will not meet you any other place except at the Cross.

Jesus said, “The way to Heaven is very narrow. There is a narrow gate to Heaven. And the gate to Heaven is the Cross. And that Cross is an offense to the world. But there is no alternative. It demands from everyone to get right with God.

Every other subject is popular. But not the Cross. It is an offense. It is a scandal. The world stumbles over the Cross. And that is the reason why so many people are not in the Kingdom of God today. So many are in the church but they have never come to the Cross. But this is true: once you come to the Cross and have an encounter with the Christ of the Cross, you’ll never be the same again.

How do you come to the Cross?

1) You must be willing to repent of your sins.

2) You must be willing to confess and renounce your sins.

3) Then you must be willing to receive Christ into your life as you Lord and personal Saviour (Rom. 10:9-10).

Conclusion: The Cross becomes the beginning of a new, and glorious life. Although the Cross is an offense, this scandal, this foolishness becomes the entrance to a new, and glorious, thrilling existence that will last for eternity. You become a partaker of eternal life.

• Your friend, I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor, HOG)                          29^th April, 2018.