Open Door Fellowship
Pentecostal Church of God, Bland Mo. 65066
Full Gospel Ministry in Song and Word
Pastor Rev. Steven Wagner Telephone: 573-437-5190
Rt 3, Owensville MO. 65066 Date: June 14, 1998
THE WORKS OF THE CROSS WILL NOT SAVE YOU
Note: Works of the cross
1. In Church circles the works of the cross is what we build our whole doctrine upon.
2. It is our foundation of what we believe.
3. The whole world celebrates it once a year on Easter Sunday.
4. We sing about it, talk about it, cry about it.
BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATER IS JUST THE WORKS OF THE CROSS WON’T SAVE YOU, WON’T CHANGE YOU, WON’T DELIVER YOU.
A. IF WE DON’T APPLY THE WORKS OF THE CROSS TO OUR OWN LIVES IT DOESN’T DO ANYTHING.
B. A lot of so called Christians are attracted to the works of the cross, they stand and marvel at what this man has done.
a. Some even except the works of the cross.
b. Isn’t that what we tell them just accept Jesus Christ and you will be a Christian.
C. But it takes more than just accepting the works of the cross you must apply them to your own life.
D. You must become crucified with Christ.
a. You see we tell people all you have to do is accept the works of the cross, but we stop there.
b. We never tell them that there is more, maybe it is because we don’t want to admit there is more.
c. Maybe you have never really applied the works of the cross to your life?
I. To really accept Jesus Christ as savior you must except Him, but you must also except and apply the works of the cross to your life.
A. This is where the church is in error today.
a. We have made it an easy life without cost, without discomfort, with sacrifice, without a crucifixion
.B. Pastor you don’t know what your talking about, all we have to do is accept the works of the cross, that is what the Bible says.
1. You didn’t read enough of the Bible that is your problem and the church worlds problem.
2. Lets look at the parable of the sower for one example.
(Mat 13:18 KJV) Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
(Mat 13:19 KJV) When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
a. I believe this is talking about the church today.
b. How can people hear the gospel if we don’t tell them the whole gospel.
c. If we don’t tell them what it really takes to follow Christ.
d. I believe that when we don’t really tell people what it is going to take to follow Christ we produce shallow conversions that do not stand.
e. They can not stand when the wicked one attacks.
f. Well this doesn’t mean there a Christian, Bull, look at the verse.
g. Why would the wicked one attack one of his own, he is attacking because this person has accepted Christ.
(Mat 13:20 KJV) But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
(Mat 13:21 KJV) Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
(Mat 13:22 KJV) He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
(Mat 13:23 KJV) But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
3. This is talking about a person that has heard the word and accepted Christ the word into there life, but for some strange reason it could not stay, and they lost what they had.
II. PEOPLE ACCEPT THE WORKS OF THE CROSS, BUT DO NOT APPLY THE WORKS TO THEIR LIVES.
A. To apply the works it takes a crucifixion of self, of flesh.
a. Have you ever wondered how people can come to the alter and cry out to God, and have people pray and pray for them but they never seem to get delivered from their problem.
b. You see we have taught the church that all we have to do is come to the works of the cross and that will take care of it.
c. The works will not take care of it by themselves.
d. They need YOU to apply the works to your life, for you to crucify yourself, your flesh.
1. We are not willing to crucify the flesh. We come to prayer alters for deliverance, but we won’t crucify the flesh, stop the sinning, stop feeding the flesh.
2. We want the works of the cross to do all the work for us.
3. We want it easy, at no cost to us.
4. But we will never be delivered of the sin and things in our lives until we are willing to do what Jesus said in (John 6).
(John 6:25 KJV) And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
(John 6:26 KJV) Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
(John 6:27 KJV) Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
(John 6:47 KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
(John 6:48 KJV) I am that bread of life.
(John 6:49 KJV) Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
(John 6:50 KJV) This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
(John 6:51 KJV) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
(John 6:52 KJV) The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
(John 6:53 KJV) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
(John 6:54 KJV) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
(John 6:55 KJV) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
(John 6:56 KJV) He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
(John 6:57 KJV) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
(John 6:58 KJV) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
(John 6:59 KJV) These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
(John 6:60 KJV) Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
a. Today many in the church of today are saying these sayings are to hard, we will go somewhere else that is easier for us to serve Christ, or we will go our own way instead of hearing this hard saying.
(John 6:61 KJV) When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
(John 6:66 KJV) From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
b. The eating and drinking of the blood, signifies a total dying to self and living for Christ.
(John 6:27 KJV) Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth[3] unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
c. We don’t want to labor, we want it easy, it is going to cost you something to serve God, you will have to put everything into serving Christ.
(Isa 55:1 KJV) Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
(Isa 55:2 KJV) Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
d. We need to buy those things that come from God not this world.
e. We try to gain this whole world.
1. Look at the time you spend earning the money of this world and spending the money of this world.
2. Now look at the time and money you spend towards the Kingdom of God.
3. Where is your priority?
III. ITS NOT THE ACCEPTING THE WORKS OF THE CROSS THAT WILL KEEP US IT IS THE APPLYING THE WORKS OF THE CROSS THAT WILL KEEP US.
A. You have to apply the works of the cross,
a. You have to make a decision to follow Christ,
b. You have to make a decision that you are going to feed off of Christ and not this world,
c. You have to make a decision you are going to crucify your own flesh,
d. You have to make a decision to walk in the Spirit of God and not the Spirit of this world,
e. You have to make a decision I’m going to eat His word, I’m going to pray and seek His face Instead of this world.
1. Do you notice that everyone of these statements starts with You. You have to do it, not God, not the pastor, not mom or day, but You.
B. Paul said I am crucified with Christ.
(Gal 2:20 KJV) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
(Gal 5:24 KJV) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
(Rom 6:12 KJV) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
(Rom 6:13 KJV) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
(Rom 6:15 KJV) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
(Rom 6:16 KJV) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(Rom 6:17 KJV) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(Rom 6:18 KJV) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
(Rom 6:19 KJV) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
(Rom 8:3 KJV) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
(Rom 8:4 KJV) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(Rom 8:5 KJV) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
a. Romans 8:5 is the key verse to crucifying the flesh, we must walk in the spirit.
b. To walk in the Spirit we must die to self, and be born with God.
c. This is not just accepting the works of the cross but applying the works of the cross.
d. We get up every day and we pray, we read our bibles we do what ever it takes to stay in the Spirit of God.
e We don’t allow ourselves to partake of this world over God, but we choose God, we choose to sacrifice our lives everyday for Him.
(Rom 12:1 KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
(Rom 12:2 KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
CONCLUSION:
(Rom 8:6 KJV) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.