R1211 The Journey to the Cross

God has an encouraging word for me today.

The Bible-based printing of Dr. Don Wilton in the journey to the cross.

He is so good to welcome you on this audio journey with Dr. Don Wilton today. His message journey to the cross is coming up in just a moment Dr. Don Wilton remind you as we launch into this Bible study together were available for you. Available online@theencouragingword.org. It's a great place to not only hear what's going on with the ministry, but perhaps you missed yesterday's additional what I hear tomorrow is a little ahead.

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866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 today's message with Dr. something that was really quite life-changing.

Remarkable. He said I am crucified Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not but Christ lives in me. I'm crucified with Christ want to say something to you today.

Are you crucified with Christ praying with you because there are so many of us that are really trying to find meaning in life. Please forgive me if it sounds like I'm talking about you. I am saying this of all of us and) our city right here today.

There are people looking wanting to know hungry, there is a tremendous discontentment going on a lot of you are discontented. You've had so much you live full lives in you bounced around from one thing and enjoying the blessings of life, but you've invested your life in things and ultimately those things begin to lose they possess. They begin to run out of attractiveness the trips and the places to go in the motocross to drive in the homerooms and the houses and the businesses in and and and all the things that you and I enjoy his blessings.

They begin to run out and and today there is there is a real panic going on.

Families are being divided children, teenagers are struggling and there is hope these meaning in life.

We've got to get back to this we go to get back to the cross. We cannot allow ourselves to be court up in this big show there is a massive show going on this and entertainment. There is a there's a mad scramble in America to grab the hearts of people and pulled said I'm crucified with Christ like to pray for you today father as we come to this time of worship journey to the cross, Lord, we are praying so much that the Lord Jesus would just reveal himself to us today by Lord I stand here today before precious people. People for whom Christ died. Yet Lord we the people living in the most blessed land ever land that flows with milk and honey.

Somehow, Lord. This this place. This cross whereupon you were crucified has been pushed into a back room. This is not why we come to church anymore. We come to be entertained. We come for the best show in town that this is this is not why we do what we do we do what we do to impress our neighbors in and to keep up and we do what we do in order to have and to have more and it's about you Jesus about the cross in today as we take this journey to the cross speak to us, Lord Jesus, speak to us right there in Jerusalem speak to us from the cross. Help us to look at the cross. Let us see why you went to the cross. Please, Lord Jesus, speak to us today. In Jesus name we pray together. If you consider for example John chapter 2 and you mock you might want to look at that. I'm not going to be dwelling on John chapter 2, but in John chapter 2. The second thing that Jesus did when he began his ministry was that he went into the church. I want you to just think about that for a moment.

That's the second thing someone know what the first thing was that he did. He turned the water into wine. He he performed that miracle. It was incredible. Jesus showed us that he is the God of all gods, because America is something that only God can do, but he immediately went into the temple he came into the church and this is what the Bible says in verse 13 of chapter 2 that the parts over the Jews was at hand. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem where I was standing there, where I go every year I was standing up. Jerusalem is safe, high up.

So every time you read in the Bible about Jerusalem, you either read about going up to Jerusalem will going down from Jerusalem.

That's why in the wintertime it can snow in Jerusalem, and it can be 70° down at this at the Dead Sea. There is a huge discrepancy so it Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Verse 14 and in the temple he found those resetting oxen, sheep and pigeons in the moneychangers sitting there and making a whip of cold see drove them out of the temple with the sheep and the oxen.

Then he pulled out the coins of the moneychangers overturned the tables. He told those who sold pigeons take these things away. Do not make my father's house a house of merchandise and his disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal of your house will consume me. So the Jews said to Jesus, I remember this was long before watch this. This is long before Jesus went to the cross.

Jesus was just beginning his earthly ministry.

The cross had not yet taken place.

Jesus told them this he said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up well. These people evidently were not a whole lot different to you and me, but I can understand that verse 20 the Jews said it's taken us 46 years to build this temple when Jesus comes again. I nap time and that to show you. You sold the Golden gate archway. It still see you when Jesus comes going to land on the Mount of olives and he's going to walk across a golden bridge into that archway and he's going to re-claim this. He's coming back to take what is his.

The temple mount. That's the same place where Abraham offered Isaac back in Genesis chapter 22, to tell you about that in a minute because it's very important when it comes to this journey to the cross. So Jesus here in verse 20 he says it's taken 46 years to build this temple and you speak of at the Jews said of raising it up in three days. But Jesus verse 21, was speaking about the temple of his body and win therefore now looking beyond the cross. He was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believe the Scripture and the word that he had spoken everything about this was not an accident.

Jesus didn't suddenly decide to go to the cross. It was a journey and this journey was begun before the world began. I want you to just get a hold of this for second this journey to the cross here folks, this cross that we celebrate this Jesus what took place on the cross began before the world began.

If you take John chapter 1 and verse one in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. So was going to go to the cross, God was. Every time you think about Jesus you're looking into the heart of God and the journey to the cross was begun before the world began, and in fact John tells us in that same passage he calls the word who is Jesus light and he says this lacked will shine in darkness, that you and me someone right now who is living in sin, you don't know Christ you're looking for meaning, you can become part of the purpose of God for your life and the purpose of God for your life is that the lacked will shine and illuminate will open the way and make known for you all that's necessary give to you the abundant life.

So the journey to the cross was begun long before the will begin way back then in the beginning and you and I have tried to define when the beginning is you never get there because God always is, it was not only begun before the world began but it was illustrated in the sacrifice of Isaac and you remember in Genesis chapter 22 that great passage and in the book of Genesis where where Abraham took his only son. I love the story of Abraham and Isaac don't everything about it was impossible. Would you like me to go to details well. I love the.

The depiction of Abraham and Isaac. You know and you know it was only possible because Abraham was an old man and his wife was an old lady and they would be gone.

Child bearing age and yet God did America. The cross father was American. The journey to the cross is about a miracle.

It's about the miracle of God doing what anybody can. That's the journey to the cross and it was illustrated for us in the life of Abraham and Isaac, because he is God. God gives to Abraham a son, and then get this turns to Abraham in Genesis 22. This is Abraham I want you to take your son in gun sacrificing cannot put that in modern-day terminology marching up the hill. There and executing folks. That's not nice. In fact, we find that to be pretty horrendous. That is awful you just think of a little baby. You think of your teenage son or daughter.

What would you do if God came and said to you. I want to do kill this person that you love so much and we know that wonderful story how Abraham went up. By the way, on that same mountain where the golden dome is that's where took place that's part of the journey. That's the spot. I'm just saying this is an aside, now under not getting in all details folks Jerusalem and Israel very important. Maybe that's why go there every year. Very, very important and Abraham took Isaac up Mount Moriah tied him up.

Even Isaac said now dad where's the sacrifice and wanted Abraham say he said the Lord will provide you not, that question is it's me coming before God in my sinfulness and sign Lord help me. I'm lost help me I'm a sinner help me I'm searching help me. I don't know help me. I cannot be reconciled to help me. I don't know what to do with my life and the Bible says the Lord will provide.

That's the journey and you remember just before he executed his son, God provided an alternative. He provided the ran that was caught in the thicket for the sacrifice and blood was shed, so the journey yet begun before the world began, illustrated through the sacrifice of Isaac, but then God used the profits to speak about you know when I bought under the profits. I thought well we got a lot of prophesying to do. The Bible is full of the profits like Amos and Isaiah.

If you take for example, Isaiah 55 in verse six, Isaiah sees this, he says see the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. So what the prophets was saying is listen. We know that your whole system in the old covenant has God in a box.

We know that you cannot going to the holy of holies we know that as of this moment, you can only get to God through a priest, but I want you to know that this journey that God has determined points to the cross and through the second class of Jesus Christ. God is going to come right Bay where your and you can trust invite him into your heart and into your life eruption will be back with more in this wonderful intentional journey to the cross, Christ made for you or Pastor Dr. Don Wilton wants us to remind you though as we pause in the middle of the broadcast. We are here for you to pray with you and for you prayer is foundational to the ministry.

The Encouraging Word as a matter fact early on we were broadcasting and sharing through television online, but we didn't have the ability to use the technology to connect his life people one-on-one 24 hours a day. We do now and when you make that call to 86689673.

You are routed to one of us ready and willing. Whether it's 4 o'clock in the morning where you are.

It's a place where we can get connected with you and and many times it's also 4 o'clock in the morning where we are, but we've made a commitment to be up and available and right to pray you through whatever God's got going on your life. So if it's not now jot the number down stored in your cell 866899673 will always get you connected and we love to pray with and for you. Now back to today's message with Dr.and the prophets spoke about this. They illustrated but this journey to the cross was also witnessed in the manger and I love the Christmas story scheduled on your Christmas shopping yet. Listen, I'm not kidding you.

When we were somewhere recently. Karen and I my wife looked at me and she said you know I'm behind those things I said what pool she said will they make great Christmas gift. Time goes by, you know Christmas is is is a wonderful time as a long way let's let's wait for Christmas not not according to the journey to the cross. You see, the journey to the cross was witnessed in the manger. I love that passage in Luke's gospel chapter 2 in verse 17 where the Bible says that the the ship these lonely people these lonely people.

The these people who had nothing to just kind of hovered around in the fields played with wild animals and look off the base sheet. These nobodies if you please. I'm saying that they respectfully you know what I love about the shepherds. They remind me of me. By the way, did you know that when I was at a young man I guess I was 18 or so.

I worked on a farm in Africa and this man had 44,000 sheep anyone learning about sheep, lost me. We used to inoculate the sheep and it would take us three weeks just to inoculate the sheet and Jesus. The Bible tells us that the journey to the cross involved a group of people who hung around sheep. They were essentially nobodies. They were herdsmen.

They will three people and they witnessed the journey to the cross when they came to the manger and group 2 verse 17 says they immediately went and began to tell everybody what they had seen a squatter journey memory.

He hadn't gone to the cross all your heart that began before the will begun and that was illustrated by by the life of Isaac and near death of Isaac, and it was it was spoken of by the prophets and it was illustrated was seen very clearly witnessed in the manger do this cross say what I love about this is that what happened on the cross and the journey to the cross was blessed by the father. You know that God placed the cross before took place. Mark chapter 1 verse 11 Bible shows us a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus being baptized and when Jesus came up out of the water of voice from the throne and from heaven came and said this is my beloved son in whom I am Will pleased blessed by the father. Just think about that you know that the Bible tells us that when Jesus came up out of the water. The excitement that was generated by the blessing of God was unparalleled.

It was far greater than you will ever see if the Vatican on any convocation or conclave. Jesus said this is my son.

It's the cross was blessed by the father. It was by the message of the one who went to the cross. Jesus said in Mark chapter 9 Jesus said, by the way, I didn't say that you can look at it. He, Jesus said in Mark chapter 9 and verse 31 Jesus said he said the son of man will be taken and will be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and they will kill him, but he's not going to stay day. He is going to be raised by the power of God. He's going to come back to life. He's going to conquer sin and they and the gray, Jesus taught that I've often thought because I'm I'm a preacher.

I've often thought that the journey to the cross was seen in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark chapter 6 and verse 51. The most dramatic stories ever. We've got this picture of Jesus and his disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee. Can you imagine that the Sea of Galilee.

By the way, as it is, it's a dutiful like you and I would call that a lake, to be honest with you on a way they get to see thing, but any right you know that have obviously haven't been to Myrtle Beach but any right the Sea of Galilee. It's a it's a beautiful lake. It puts Lake Joe Cassie in the shade. I'm just telling you that right on Lake lure cannot come anywhere near differently.

Not like carpal. That's not even on the spatially with the with with a little water down Lake Murray so so you know we could go.

I mean, let's just go on and on down down the road, but the Sea of Galilee, just magnificent. Surrounded by mountains and and if you are in the Sea of Galilee and you were looking north to Syria. You have to have Iraq on your sort of right-hand side here you have Israel and Lebanon on your left-hand side and Syria sort of in front of you and you have the land of the Gentiles on the side and you have Tiberius on the side and and right in front of you on the point you have you have the beautiful little town of Village of Capernaum and then up on the hill that you got the hill way. Jesus delivered the sermon on the mountain amount of beatitude will they were on that like in a wind came up.

I been on that plate when that type of wind comes up and you know that the Sea of Galilee can go from this most serene, quiet, lovely frolicking Lake into a tempestuous sea arming the waves get up. It overturns those boats as easy as anything.

And these men were in the boat with Jesus and and this this came up and I was so scared I was so afraid. And Jesus said excuse me, it is what did Jesus say to them is even the winds and the waves obeyed his voice. It is, it is the journey to the cross was seen in the person of the one who who went across this journey was no mistake what we're celebrating these weeks is no mistake. Today we stand you and we look can we say the journey to the cross Jesus had you and me in mind and I want to say to you today marked my precious friends that I love you so much and I see such a search going on in November we gonna celebrate my hope, but don't wait until November to take hold of the hope that we have in the cross. The journey has begun. It began before the world began, and it's tiding to the purpose of God for your life and for my life. And today, I urge you to look to the cross look to Jesus, take hold of him. Jesus stated if anyone will come after me, he or she must take up the cross, clinging to the cross exit the cross. Trust me because of the cross. Give your life to me because I went to the cross streets to see the cross.

Are you willing to take up the cross and follow the Lord Jesus just because he is the master voice because he is speaking, would you bow your heads with me for just a moment, every head bowed and every closes 80 comes in Genesis today to receive you is right here in the sanctuary today.

I invite you to come as you are not look to the cross and we are seated journey in which we know that God had me in mind, Christ died for me and everything that he did everything he spoke of every event. Every happening. Everything was about me take up our cross and follow me. I heard the monsters Lord Jesus. The journey to the cross. It's real so you you mean all this was done for people like me in my Lord, I pray today, people everywhere turned Jesus Jesus name speaking to you, don't hesitate to get the phone. Let's talk about it. 866899 word is our phone number will connect with us 24 hours a day to talk to pray and to listen 866-899-9673 or let's connect online@theencouragingword.org before get away closing thoughts from Dr.are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart.

In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news after The Encouraging Word broadcasters over there still a wonderful place to connect 24 hours a day. It's The Encouraging Word.org.

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