Brother Gary Sunday Morning 2/21/16

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 2/21/16

Psa 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

If any man will come after me: the greatest call that any of us has ever received is the call to follow Jesus Christ.  We receive many calls through our mind and through the world: voices and thoughts that would come and make an impression on us.

Jesus knew the value and the importance of us receiving His call.  He said, “Let him deny himself.”

This scripture is just as real and as convicting as it was the first day that Jesus spoke it.  “Let him deny himself.”  There is a very strong voice that every one of us has heard and will hear.  It is the voice of our flesh.  Our flesh wants its own way and will.

The burden of our heart lies with the thought, “Let him take up His cross.”  Many have preached the thought that it is difficult to serve God, “I have a difficult cross to bear in life.” 

Galatians 6:14 brings the cross in a beautiful position:

Gal 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

I don’t want to be unkind.  We see people wearing crosses today and I don’t know what that cross means to them.  We hear others say, “I have such a cross to bear in life!” 

The cross that I want to preach on is the cross that Paul experienced.  “I don’t want to have anything to glory in save the cross.”

There were many that had known the cross, in the day that Jesus was crucified there were two others crucified with Him.  There is one particular cross that has meaning and power for everyone that knows what took place on Mount Calvary where Jesus was crucified.

Take up His cross.  There is a cross it is the cross of Jesus Christ and it is through this cross that the world can be crucified in me.  “Dead to every worldly pleasure, dead indeed to sin am I, but alive to Christ my savior, daily to Him I’m drawing nigh.  Let me see Jesus only… only He can satisfy.”

There is a particular cross that God wants us to not only have identified with but to identify with today.  Paul found it was needful to die daily to stay dead. 

The world is crucified to me and I to the world:  For all that is in the world is what the flesh wants.  It doesn’t matter how old you will become, as long as you have this treasure in earthly vessels your flesh will speak to you.

It doesn’t mean that every time your mind and body tell you that you need to eat, put on a sweater or other things that it is sinful.  But our flesh is such that it wants to control.  Our flesh will become tired.  It will say, “Why don’t you just lessen up, quit carrying such a heavy burden, draw in because when you put yourself out you find that it is exhausting.  For they try to draw something from you that will help them cope with their needs.” 

This is why we need to know how to be dead to self, “God I need you to help me to enter into the secret closet and shut the door.  There to be renewed with graces, strength, wisdom, and anointing.

Pro 18:1  Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

The cross brings us to a separation.  We think of what Jesus suffered!  He did it all for us.  He was already the son of God.  Heaven was already His.  He did this for you and me and He did it so that through desire a man can separate himself and seek and intermeddle with all wisdom.

Before you and I can grasp the wisdom of God we must separate our self from all the things that would be deemed the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. 

Through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, the world becomes dead.  Those things that we longed after prior to salvation and sanctification, become dead to us. 

One of the things that caused trouble among the church at Corinth was that men wanted to elevate themselves and others wanted to attach themselves to them and say, “I am of this one or that one…”

Isn’t it wonderful that you and I know that we can be dead to pride?  There is a way to be dead to the world, to the pride of life, to the lust of the flesh, and to the lust of the eyes.  Dead to wanting recognition. 

Paul had a grasp of this message: “Not only can I die to that but that can die to me.”

Gal 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

There is no literal work that profits anything, people can say, “I joined church or I’ve done this or that or something else.”

The only thing that benefits is being a new creature.

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

It is wonderful to know that what brings peace with God and with each other is being dead to the world and the world dead to you.  Whatever you have or do not have, the rejoicing is, “This is what God added and I am thankful for it.”

Dead to the world and the world dead to me.  We all have opinions.  Isn’t it wonderful to be dead to your opinion?  “It is my opinion, how I like it, and how we do it.”  Isn’t it wonderful to not be contentious about it?

The order of our services it would be much different if you were in Brother Wilson’s congregation in Alabama or in Far Rockaway, New York.  There are different things that work in different localities.  But the thought is being dead to the world, the world dead to us, and at peace one with another.

In our fellowship often the brothers wear neckties.   Just in case it would be the time for the visitors to show up, I want them to know that I took a bath and I have done my best to represent the King of Kings. 

If someone would show up that did not wear a necktie, as long as they were not contentious about it, they are my brother.  What makes the difference is if they love God, are sanctified, and have died to the world. 

It is not wrong to have convictions, to preach a standard, and to lift up a standard. 

Walking according to this rule brings peace: dead to the world and the world dead to me. 

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Gal 6:17  From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Gal 6:18  Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. To the Galatians written from Rome.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

This message is so good that had it been preached and practiced since the days of Jesus Christ, in the morning time church and the church throughout the ages, how different lives are if they follow Christ.  Following Christ causes us to lose our life that we mind find true life.

Fleshly choice always reaps the rewards of the flesh.  There is no getting around the law of sowing and reaping.  The choice to follow Jesus always reaps life.

When you got saved you made a marvelous choice.  When you got sanctified you made the right choice.  Not only do you reap life but you reap life more abundant.  In this abundant life you can be reigning sweetly reigning all your life.

Eternal life: “What is a man profited if he gain the world and lose his own soul.”  Gain the world, neglect the soul, callous the conscience, and receive God’s grace in vain.  Is there anything sadder? 

Jesus asked the question, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”  I am struck at what people will exchange their soul for.  A moment of pleasure for a lifetime of sorrow.  People take the thought, “I am going to be my own man and no one will tell me what to do and all the time they are telling themselves, “Make the wrong choice.”

George Bennard was meditating on a scripture that the children here can quote:  John 3:16.  He thought about it for months, “For God so loved the world.”  He thought about the cross and about God giving His only begotten son.  Then he thought of what can be the result and effect of the cross, “Whosoever believeth on me shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

There are a lot of men died on crosses.  There is one particular cross where the blood of Jesus was spilt and the promise was fulfilled, “A fountain was open for their forgiveness.”  They should have everlasting life.

George Bennard wrote, “In the old rugged cross stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see; for ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me, So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross ‘til my trophies at last I lay down.  I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it some day for a crown.”

It is marvelous to have victory over complaining, over being mistreated or ostracized.  It is what it is. 

Jesus said, “Whosoever takes up His cross and follows Him…”

Mar 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mar 8:35  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.