Matthew 16:24-28
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
The cross could not do its job if Jesus hadn’t gotten on it.
Not that He just got on it.
He was bound to it with the nails in His hands and feet.
The cross hastened His death.
He was a man in a human body; the God in Him could never die without Him surrendering to death.
As God, He laid down His life.
But three days later, as God, He picked it back up again.
Death now has no dominion over Him.
Jesus owns the keys to death, hell, and the grave.
To follow Jesus in taking up the cross is the only way new life could come.
If I asked you if you follow Jesus, most would say yes.
Yet 90% of most professing Christians have never once been bound to the cross.
Today I want to nail this all the way till it hurts.
It’s gonna get uncomfortable.
The cross with no pain isn’t my Jesus; my Jesus got on His cross.
Not only did He get on the cross, but they also nailed Him to it.
I know I’m old and determined, but when you pick something heavy up and lay it on your shoulder, it will leave a bruise.
Why? Because it’s heavy.
I have the strength to pick it up, but my body doesn’t have the strength to carry it.
It will leave a mark.
The cross of Jesus leaves a mark on the body.
It’s heavy.
If you have prayed through to the Spirit, then I will accept that you are saved.
If you haven’t prayed through to the Spirit, no, I don’t believe you’re saved.
Jesus’ words, not mine.
John 3:3: Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
When you have prayed through to the Spirit, when you repent of your sin, you have gotten on that cross.
It’s then you will hate sin, hate the garment stained with sin.
God entered our lives with the power of the Spirit.
The old man is crucified.
Sins are forgiven.
A new nature is given through rebirth.
The Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts.
He begins to lead us in the path of righteousness.
We are not the same people anymore that we once were.
The Spirit of God gives you the power to stay on that cross.
You are fastened to the cross by the Spirit.
The old man died, and now the new man lives.
Tearless altars, altars that have never seen blood spilled on them, have never had the fire of God fall on them.
Listen to me.
Mr., you’re bound by sin, you’re on your way to a devil’s hell.
Repent, get it right.
Excuse me, ma’am, I’m not worried about your makeup.
Repent of your sins, get on that cross, and the Spirit will help.
He will give you the power to stay on that cross.
Praying through every day, the Spirit crushes the hold of sin on your life.
The old man dies.
The reason people struggle with sin is they haven’t gotten on that cross.
Hear me: the altar is your cross.
I don’t care how old you are or how young you are; the altar is your cross.
Bring your sacrifice to Jesus, put the flesh of your life on that altar.
When my wife tells you you’re church cussing, you laugh, but the truth is that the altar will clean up that mouth.
I ask you, are you a thief?
Most would say, “Lord, no,” but you have robbed God.
Is that in the Bible?
Yes, Malachi 3:8 NKJV: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.”
Dying at the altar will clean that heart up.
Romans 8:5-10 (NKJV)
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Misty asked me the other day, what’s my motivation, what makes me keep going.
It’s not physical strength, or economic strength, or mental strength, it’s the power of His Spirit.
Lazy in life is lazy in Spirit.
If you don’t put flesh in its place, it will rule your life forever.
If you allow flesh, it will take you to hell.
Flesh only knows one way: down.
Is there any hope for you?
Yes, hope in the life that the Spirit of God brings.
The altar will bring you alive in the Spirit.
That lifeless body comes alive in Jesus when the Spirit comes.