 All right welcome back Let's continue with chapter 22. What we'll do is we'll Do chapter 22 and then we'll stop because we'll get to section 3 which is The blood which we'll start from next week onwards, so let's look at this chapter quickly The way of the cross right now how does I'm sure we we have you know Studied on this and we have looked at various aspects, but how does the cross affect our daily life? How is it to embracing the cross and the wonderful blessings that the cross provides for us? How must we live how must we? You know understand what Jesus did on the cross and as believers What is our life? What is it that we must go through as part of journeying with the Lord Jesus Christ? Let's look at a few points first one the offense of the cross Galatians chapter 5 and verse 11 says and I brethren if I still preach circumcision Why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has seized now Paul is writing to the Galatians. He's reminding them and he's selling them If I'm being persecuted it is because The cross is not you know, it's a place of offense Nobody is going to you know readily accept the cross or the message of the cross But it's an offense The moment you say you believe in Jesus. This is what happened. He was a good man. He died on the cross It becomes an offense Right Galatians 6 12 says as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh These would compel you to be circumcised only that they may suffer persecution For the cross of Christ. So Paul is saying now Just because we see the wonderful things of what Jesus did on the cross the blessings of the cross but the part of us as believers is also The persecution that is involved Now when we look at what's happening around the world Christian faith is being persecuted widely Right. You've got persecution, especially in some of the Arab countries in our nation as well persecution It's really high And and in different countries, right? There's there's a lot of persecution on Christians Why is it so? Because the cross is an offense to people It's offensive to their years When you speak to probably uh, for example, right if you speak to a person of Who is a muslim? It's offensive to say that the son of god died on the cross They're not going to accept it Right, and here's the thing Paul is telling the believers in galatia that You also will be persecuted for your faith So one of the things that we must understand is that the cross is offensive and we will be Persecuted for our faith, but that does not change Who we are in christ it does not change the blessings and the grace and the mercies that flow from him Right, but be ready for persecution If we read the book of revelations in during the entire you see that persecution is going to reach its highest level But on the other side, there's going to be You know world outreaches. There's going to be a global uh, you know Awakening in the holy spirit where many many people Will accept the lord jesus as their personal savior. So the enemy is doing his part But here the lord jesus is also doing his part Right where many many there's going to be a you know, a complete global awakening Many churches will be filled Thousands and thousands of people will accept jesus christ This site there will be heavy persecution on christians Galatians chapter 6 verse 14 now As we as believers of the cross believers of christ, there's a separation from the world All right said beautifully. He says uh, you know I I don't belong to the things of this world anymore Galatians 6 14 But god forbid that I should boast except in the cross of the lord jesus christ By whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world It's a policy saying the world is crucified to me meaning the pleasures of this world Wealth Luxury and all these things is crucified to me now. I want to be careful I don't I I'm not you know saying that we must not enjoy the things that god has given us Yes, it's good. God blesses us but There's a place of separation from the world We are in this world, but we are not off the world It's good when god blesses us god blesses us with the business or income and finances and prosperity It's god's blessings But when we use all of this as wrong means we have failed Right, we have been uh, we have indulged in the things of this world The cross of christ is also used in the in in in scripture For life as a result of faith in christ There's a there's a place of self denial The lord jesus separated himself He came, you know, he there was self denial. He denied Certain things in his life just so that he could fulfill the work Now as believers we have fellowship in his sufferings right Colossians chapter one was 24 to 26 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh. What is lacking in the afflictions of christ For the sake of his body, which is the church Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from god Which was given to me for you To fulfill the word of god The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations But now has been revealed to the saints so paul is saying Uh, uh, I fill in my flesh. What is lacking the afflictions of christ so sufferings difficulties challenges is a part of life and the lord jesus Is is there with us to help us through all of these seasons You know, it's very disheartening when we hear, you know, I keep getting these whatsapp messages from the persecution relief in our nation, especially in india Where many pastors have been arrested They've been in prison for the past six seven months And They have a wife they have a small child There's another pastor who's in prison and he has a six month old baby. He hasn't seen his baby for the past six months There's no income at home. The believers are just, you know, making some food and helping them But he's in prison The case has been, you know, they're saying they're just postponing it month after month after month It's almost going to be a year that he's in prison for no fault of his It's very disheartening to hear of all of this and we as believers must with a burden You know fellowship in their suffering. We thank god for what, you know, for the freedom that we have But not everyone have that freedom. Many of them You know are in prison Uh, you know, there's this there are some pastors that I know of who are fearful every sunday They're fearful. They don't know when Attacks are going to happen. They don't know when people are going to come a mob is going to come and break the chairs Break the church They don't know if you read the persecutions that happened in 2008 in kandamal where grand stans and his uh children Two sons were burned to life That was just one event very painful event, but there were hundreds of events hundreds of testimonies There's a booklet written on that. Um, you know the persecutions of kandamal in orisa where Many of them were tied up and burnt in their own homes Many of them were cut into two Now i'm not talking about early church persecution. I'm talking about 2008 and Christ is saying we must fellowship in their sufferings We must pray for them. We must be there for them support them uh in whatever way we can because It is part of ministry God is assigned it for some god has and we as his children we as When we understand that we are one body we must you know Be there for them fellowship in their sufferings I'm sure we read a lot of these testimonies say a word of prayer Remember them one of the things we do in our family prayers. We always pray for the persecuted families persecuted pastors evangelists Uh, no because they may be going through such a difficult time. They're doing something good. They're preaching the gospel But their lives are at stake Um, and and you know, we must be pray we must pray for that we must stand with them as believers Next point there are enemies of the cross of jesus christ who tried to Be little the work of atonement Uh, you know the enemies of the cross in this world are People who are too proud to believe in the gospel There are people right? I've shared with many people where they said I can't I don't believe this You just be a good person Live a good life Help the poor help the needy That is better than you know going to church and living or Those kind of you know living a double life and all these things There are enemies of the cross. There are people who don't believe in the cross They say the cross is nothing but in philippines chapter 3 17 to 19 i'll read that brethren join in Following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern Or many walk Of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross Whose end is destruction whose god is their belly whose glory is in their shape Who set their minds on earthly things? Like paul is writing this way back to the philippians And he's saying there are enemies of the cross Are there enemies of the cross now? Yes, plenty plenty enemies of the cross People don't want to accept The work of the cross right And it's sad to see this And it's not something new there will be enemies of the cross the You know satan was able to You know deceive us from the truth He put a thought in our mind saying, you know Your life has been so bad That's because you've been you know trying to live this holy life nothing has been working out for you Why don't you try the other way? And people turn away from god They become enemies of the cross There are the most unfortunate thing is to be enemies of the cross in the church You know pride Worldliness these are enemies of the cross in the church we have so many times when people have No cheated The sexual immorality there's Fornication there is cheating there is You know pride anger jealousy all these things Have caused Are all enemies of the cross? And so we must be aware that when we sin Sorry We are crucifying the son of god again. Hebrews chapter six versus four to six and we Bring this whole section to a close For as import it is impossible for those who are once enlightened And have tasted the heavenly gift the heavenly gift here of salvation and have become partakers of the holy spirit And have tasted the good word of god and the powers of the age to come If they fall away to renew them again to repentance Since they crucify again for themselves the son of god and put him to open shame There are enemies of the cross in this world A friend could be an enemy Sometimes our own family could be an enemy to us in the sense that they may You know make fun of our faith ridicule us for our faith Friends may ridicule us relatives may ridicule us our neighbors may ridicule us But here's the thing when we Our eyes are fixed on jesus We will not end up being an enemy of the cross if we live in sin. Hebrews says We are crucifying the son of god once again Right, so let us all I just want to encourage us that You know the cross is a powerful place The resurrection power of the cross is available for each one of us Right, so we'll bring this class to a close From next week, we'll start with section three, which is the blood of jesus christ We look at what the blood of jesus christ does And how it is powerful and works in our lives Right, so any questions any thoughts? All right, shall we bring this session to a close? It's request maybe said if you can leave clothes in prayer for us Sure, pastor Thank you, father. We come to the throne of grace lord. Thank you for the day as we have been learning from this world lord The subject lord. We thank you for The subject lord We thank you for the students the teacher lord Whoever all are studying about your blood about the cross about the covenant lord What and all we are the learning we are getting lord lord It should not be basic or just kept aside, but let it should be a weapon to Lord it can be used as a weapon so that we can conquer the land's lord as the Promise you have given us to the ebraham the blessings you have kept in the bible lord All the promises which are for the end days lord. It should be fulfilled lord Thank you for the pastor for the teaching us lord. Thank you for all the students who are learning this lord lord In jesus name you bless everyone and say amen Amen, amen. Thank you sin Praying thank you everyone for joining Have a great week ahead. We'll catch up next week. We'll start with section three the blood of jesus christ. God bless