 okay welcome back let's get into where we stopped from where we stopped okay the early church was preached sorry the early church priest preached the cross of Christ right so when we look at the early church we talked about Apostle Paul but here in the very first sermon the Apostle Peter in chapter 2 he stands up when he speaks his word Jesus of Nazareth man attested by God attested by God to you by miracle signs and wonders and so he preaches the Gospel Peter again in Acts chapter 4 Peter John go to pray they see this lame man and he says silver and gold I don't have but what I have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk right and then they after all of this they said how did you do this good question no one thing I know is Peter you are good you're good with fishes you're good with the boat who thought you all of this that's look at this reply then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit rulers of the people of the and enrush of Israel if this day you are judged for a good deed done to a hopeless man by what means he has he has been made well now let me tell you what what I did to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified but God raised from the dead and by and by him this man stands here before you hold can you think of these Pharisees these leaders these rabbis getting all their clothes and you know they're walking around they know everything from Abraham all the Old Testament all the law they know it's all here they're asking Peter see we've seen this man here lame for many years with what authority you're doing this see you can't do okay at least I'm doing you can't do it I'm doing it but you want to know what authority the authority of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth you leaders put him to death but now God raised him from the dead can you think of these rabbis and leaders they have they've already lost the battle they feel their leaders but they're not leaders this Fisher man here is in control of the situation Fisher man doesn't know anything he only knows how to fish catch fish try it fry it sell it it's all he knows how he's saying the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk it preached across of Jesus Christ when they were faced with persecutions and threat and accept a fire again because of all of this they said okay bring those two Peter and John here and the counselor standing okay listen whatever you're saying what you've done to that lame man good just say God has healed them but stop preaching about this Jesus because you know and I know that Jesus was dead in front of our own eyes we crucified him we killed him we've seen him dead Peter saying hey but I also told you he rose again from the dead the tomb is empty so I'm gonna decide whether I should believe in you or obey you or should I obey God so it's obvious that I'm gonna obey God they go on to preach the gospel and the early church preach the gospel and even you and I are to preach the gospel in Acts 10 was the first sermon to the Gentiles right where Peter preaches right and the people were filled with the Holy Spirit and and so we see that every well when people preached it was followed up with signs wonders and miracles was when people believed in the cross there was miracles very important is not to look at the cross only for miracles cross is more than that it's a place of salvation it's a place of forgiveness it's a place of love but it's also a place of justice right it's not only miracle miracles is one of it thank God for the miracles when we believe in the cross miracles is one of the free buy one get one free you've heard of that right in the supermarkets you get the cross buy one get hundred free you can't buy the cross but you believe you'll get all of this right the main message of the church then and the main message of the church now must be the cross we cannot replace the message of the cross with good music with friendly people with organized programs fun activity you know all of this you cannot replace it now remember the word replace you can have motivational speeches you know feel good sermons none of this can save a person so now there's a time and place for everything when we go for a youth missions example we go for a youth meeting or a youth missions you cannot stand there and say oh this is what Jesus did this is the cross no it's going to be you know skits and activities and fun that's what the youth meeting is we need to have it but along with that the main focus should be the cross of Jesus Christ if you go for a meeting you come out of that meeting saying the auditorium was looking good the whole meeting the purpose of the meeting is lost you get what I'm saying like we cannot replace good music is good music important good worship important very important but David he had 4,000 skilled musicians and he made rosters he said okay this went on for 30 years right morning one team afternoon evening one team night 24 7 there was worship skilled musicians it's important but we cannot replace this good music with you know or good our messages or feel good sermons motivational speeches with the cross of Jesus Christ you have to preach the cross you have to preach what Jesus did on the cross that's when people are touched and people are saved you get this right so for example you go back to your hometowns you say let's have a youth meeting let's call all people from different villages and different towns let them come we'll have a youth meeting and you bring them all together and you're saying okay so this whole day we'll have this this is so we'll have first one session then we'll have fun time and activity but in those sessions make sure that the cross of Jesus Christ is preached the power of the cross whatever the topic is the topic could be how to be good in the workplace bring in the cross bring in what Jesus did for us on the cross only that can touch a person's life testimonies will be there for some time people will remember your testimony for some time but the cross when you speak of the cross it goes into your spirit it changes your life how many of you remember the first time you prayed and you said Lord Jesus change me I want to believe in you I want to trust in you how many of you remember that time you don't remember yes or no you at least you remember okay I was here in this place this is what I was saying I was feeling sad I was feeling happy I prayed yes right that moment that is that moment is much more precious in any other moment if you are not preaching the cross you're not preaching the gospel the cross is what will make the effect of the sermon or the teaching more powerful our own words it will be our own way of communicating but what we're doing is we're communicating the cross right so there is the practical of preparing but the dependence must be on God we cannot change any person's heart we cannot make a person believe in the cross only God can do that so remember this if you're not preaching the cross you're not preaching the gospel it's just a good time together it's just another sermon try to relate everything that you're doing to the cross of Jesus that is the center all humankind the simple gospel is the power of God even as you share this don't be ashamed but sometimes we people may be they ridicule you make fun of you they may laugh at you mock you remember they did that to Jesus yes or no they look at Jesus they ridiculed him they mock him they made fun of him they pulled out his beard they spat on his face they did everything that they could do at least now nobody is doing that for us so as believers we must be willing to share the power the message of the cross because this is the power of God unto salvation okay all right let's get into the shadows of the cross now we talked about this right before the foundations of the world we preach Christ crucified so in the Old Testament in many places God showed his people what is going to happen through a sign through shadows and we know many of them so let's look at a few of them right see in the old in the old test in Luke chapter 24 there's this whole this whole section where Jesus speaking to his disciples Jesus has died he has resurrected from the dead and now he's coming to meet his disciples and he says ought not the Christ was 26 ought not the Christ have suffered these these things and to enter it to his glory and beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded to them all the scriptures oh this is on the road to Emmaus he expounded to them all in all the scriptures the things concerning himself then he said to them these are the words which I spoke to you while I was with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me and he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scripture look at this such a important example for us Jesus has done all the work he has defeated the enemy he's resurrected from the dead he's coming back and not only is he showing himself alive he's saying see I'm alive Thomas come and touch Peter don't doubt anymore disciples I'm here I'm flesh and blood I'm here standing in front of you he's does all that but he also says it is written in the scriptures from the time of Moses it was revealed that the son of God had to come he had to suffer he had to go through this he had to die and he expounded the scripture that means what it's like you you know two people standing and he and he's opening the scripture but you know what Psalm says this this is what the book of Acts is saying this is what Moses said this is what Joseph said this is what Daniel did expounding the scripture that's what Jesus did Jesus and the word are one you know sometimes and he puts up the one was to his powerful it says in those in the last days God will speak through his son yes how will God speak he'll speak through his son what is who is his son Jesus who is Jesus so during these times even now it's very important to understand that we can go to God's word read God's word and God is speaking to us the problem is sometimes we want a prophetic word we want a vision we want a dream we want all kinds of confirmations we want word of knowledge we want days that all that there's a time and place for that but remember God is speaking through his word that is the most powerful word that you and I can receive God you said you will send your word and heal my disease that's it it's done by the stripes of Jesus we were healed now what are you standing on you're standing on what Jesus is done you're standing on a prophecy of somebody else telling him what Jesus is office is there good vision is there but he's standing on something much more powerful what Jesus is telling only you're standing on that's why the word is so powerful at the word of God be in your spirit be in your heart let it not you know David says I've hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against you he's a king of Israel and he's saying I'm hidden in my word keep the word in you suddenly there will be a storm in life you have the word of God sometimes we don't know where to run and the storm comes who to go to which pastor to call which brother to call where to go what to do confused go back to the word say God your word says when the enemy comes in like a flood the spirit of the Lord will raise a standard against him so now I can see a flood it's coming against me but your word says he will raise a standard he will stand Isaiah 43 and the waters come which are not overcome you do not be afraid do not be dismayed for I am with you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand God I'm feeling weak I'm feeling weary I'm feeling fearful tired I've heard this news I'm fearful it's natural you got the word of God that's what Jesus is doing here he's showing them through the word of God see I'm not doing something that I just to make fear make you fear the cross was not just to make you feel scared and abandon you it was written years back from Moses and there are signs let's look at the first sign no seed of the woman Genesis 3 15 and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel whatever Jesus did on the cross this is written Genesis 3 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise your head where did Jesus do this where did Jesus bruise the Satan's head he crushed the devil on the cross but it was written four thousand years before right he shall bruise your head it's like the father is telling the devil I will send somebody and he will destroy you now you are saying you brought death into this world you have made you have tempted Adam and you have brought sin into this world but I will there'll come a time when my own seed will crush your head what a powerful example what the father is saying is my my seed my own flesh and blood will destroy you will crush the serpent's head and then in Genesis 3 what did God do after that Adam and Eve realized hey I'm naked don't have any clothes because sinners entered them what did Jesus what did God do the first clothing he did the first sacrifice we talked about this right the covering for sin can only be provided by shedding of blood right Genesis 3 21 and also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them who made the tunics of skin he sacrificed an animal he sacrificed the blood and he clothed them a picture of what Jesus would do that while we were yet sinners living in sin Jesus came into this world he gave his own life as a blood offering and that by his blood we are cleansed he clothes us with his power he covers us with his blood talking about what Jesus did then we have able sacrifice in Genesis 4 now Adam knew his wife and they conceived and she bold this time pain was born and then the second time Abel was born Abel was a keeper of sheep but Cain was a tiller of the ground we know the story Abel bought the first born of his flock of their fat and the Lord respected Abel and his offering verse 5 but he did not respect Cain and his offering and Cain was very angry and his countenance fell worship that is not accepted that is will not be accepted by God must come based sorry what am I saying worship that will be accepted by God must come based on the shedding of blood we cannot come into the presence of God without the shedding of blood but we cannot come into God by our own efforts you look at other faiths there is shedding of blood used the wrong way see the devil is a impersonator whatever God does he'll try to do we have the original you have the fake both look the same but both have different value how many of you gone to the shop you bought something and then the storekeeper looks at the note like this this is a real note if it's fake he'll throw it on your face this is a fake note but it looks the same the same thing with the enemy he he has his own things but here we're focusing on what God did here what Abel did Abel gave the best of what he had it was a blood offering God's provision for Abraham sacrifice oh this is God provided the lamp this is a perfect example you read the life of Isaac and you read the life of Jesus their nature is almost the same first covenant child you're the first child as a covenant from God himself God told Abraham take Isaac go and sacrifice him in the mountain so Abraham does if you know the story right as the spear was coming the knife was coming on his son God said stop there's a ram take the trap cut it give it as a burned offering but many years later on the mound of Golgotha this time God Abraham was not there God himself was holding the just making painting a picture for you God himself is holding like a knife and this time he didn't stop because he told Abraham I myself will provide this time in Golgotha God said no it has to be done and on his own son the punishment and judgment came it was to show about what Jesus would do it's a shadow of the cross the Passover lamp we know the story right I'll just summarize this entire chapter what happens everyone know the Passover lamp right the final judgment God tells Moses okay tell the people of Israel and tell Pharaoh this is what's gonna happen all the main children first born of the house is gonna die but you people because you're in covenant with me cut a lamb without blemish take the blood and put it on your doorpost and when death comes death will see that and it will pass by that will see the blood death will see the blood and it'll pass by what did Jesus do for us Christ is our Passover lamp right he typified everything that when we are covered by the blood of Jesus that shall pass by right Christ brings the reality of the lamb into our life that cannot hold us even as believers death is not the end it's just that we are going to a different place that's it from one place to another I'm our place of sin to a place of glory that's all it is right Christ is our Passover he shed his blood we don't have to take blood and put it on our doorpost he has already done it for us he has we are already sealed by the blood of Jesus yes we believe this we are sealed by the blood of Jesus then now there's a question here is this after resurrection Jesus conquered Satan and death but why Satan still continues to tempt mankind yeah so go through to answer your question see of Jesus defeated the devil right so right now you and I as when we become believers we are victorious Jesus has not bound the devil yet we see that in the book of revelations in the book of revelation Satan will be taken and bound for a thousand years that time there will be no sin right but now Satan is continuing his work he will keep doing what he has to do that is why Jesus is you know Jesus is not saying okay I finished the work and now everything's all right no he's saying I finished the work I'm giving you my Holy Spirit I'm giving you my weapons I'm giving you everything that I have and I'm I'm going to be there with you you got to fight this fight of fate nothing was easy for Jesus he had to go through it so the same way we have to go through it but we have this assurance that Jesus is with us so go through this whole thing of you know why Satan still keeps continuing to tempt us and cause all these problems because he's still working he knows he's defeated so he's doing his best and you learn more in the book of revelations there'll come a time Jesus will take him bind him for thousand years that time there will be no sin that's why the book of Isaiah talking about that says that time will be where the lion and the lap will sit together there'll be no death during the thousand year period so right thank you first okay the rock from which the water flow okay this we know all of us know this right Exodus 17 they've come to decide the Israelites are walking from Egypt they're coming it's so funny you know you think of it Israelites are coming out were there no graves in Egypt you brought us here we would have been working in Egypt eating and drinking and sleeping enjoying at least we had something that you brought us here to die in the desert God is dead Moses is saying what do I do these people says okay hit the rock you see that rock Moses take your stone take your staff and hit the rock and water started flowing from the rock now think about this they were so happy they all the Israelites men took started drinking water quenching their thirst oh thank you they coincided they may probably filled water and that water kept flowing where they went think about this they forgot to look at the miracle that happened they're all filling their water bottles they forgot about the miracle what's the miracle there is no there is no clouds in the sky it was hot in the desert there's no sign of any water in the ground but David Moses hit the rock and water is flowing out did anyone stop and think of that if I was there I would have said hey I don't know I would have maybe ran to water but I would have thought where is the water coming from it's a miracle they didn't see the miracle I want the water the water followed them but the point is that water was what led them the Bible says that rock was Jesus that rock was Jesus now out of your belly will come rivers of living water he is our living water right Jesus was that rock that rock followed him everywhere they went then comes a difficult part Moses people are again trying they've gone into the habit of crying again so now speak to the rock tell the rock water come out no no no we'll hit it last time we hit no water came Moses hit the rock had one small mistake because you disobeyed me by the rivers of Kadesh and near that near that area you will not enter the promised land why was God in you feel that was too much I feel it was too much God what about look at what all we've met face to face we have talked together I was 40 days on the mountain I'm talking to you and I said I want to see you and I saw the back you're back going nobody has seen that even the Israelites could not see my face because of the glory of God and you're saying because I hit the rock second time you're not letting me into the promised land which I have brought all the people out of here you're not letting me in because I hit the rock God is saying yes I told you to speak to it why because that rock is Jesus he was smoked once and that's going to be only once next time you just have to go to the cross and speak to him and when you speak to him rivers of water will flow to us refreshing us right so God was trying to bring out a message from that then we have the levitical offerings the burnt offering right leviticus it has a lot of offerings right the book of leviticus but every single offering points to Jesus Christ every single offering points to Jesus first one the burnt offering thought about substitution instead of my place instead of me going and you know suffering Jesus did it for me so instead of me suffering will put this goat here burn it and God will accept this offering it's a burned offering so now instead of the goat or into the land Jesus has taken my place sin offering covering of intentional unintentional and unknown sins trespass offering covered known and confessence peace offering it spoke of the reconciliation Christ would provide through his cross right so all of them and the day of atonement I think I've shared this many times right one day in the year the high priest would go into the holy of holies make atonement that's what Jesus did for us he became our sin offering he became our sin-bearer and he went up to heaven and he made atonement for us next one the serpent in the wilderness how many of us remember this story numbers 21 again the Israelites you know you read Exodus leviticus numbers even Joshua it's so I don't understand like how you know that's the nature of man sometimes we feel why is God so upset why is God so angry not angry it's mercy because it's so they have seen the miracles they've seen what God can do what happens here they're crumbling same taste same desert same thing same thing Moses will go pray and come and he'll tell us the same thing Aaron is there we have to go and give one code there he will do the sacrifice same thing nothing is interesting here then we are then they'll blow on trumpet we have to move then we have to do this what is this they grumbling they didn't see that they remember slippers on their feet were not going they didn't see that and none of the diseases that fell on the Egyptians came on them didn't see all that but they rumbling so hot now the water also is becoming bitter everything is going wrong rumbling what did God do he sent serpents okay rumbling go think of the serpents are going everywhere biding the people people are dying people are dying then God said sorry then Moses said God don't let them die of snake bites what will the Egyptians think please save them okay here's what you do you take a brass pole take one serpent and tie it around the brass pole and when the serpents when you get bit by the serpent just look at that pole and you will live I think Moses it is said I'm too old for all of this why all this but he did it put the pole brass sin is it like a fiery serpent it sting is death the serpent represents sin and Satan brass is this in scripture represents judgment remember the brazen altar right where the animals were sacrificed the brass serpent lifted up illustrates that sin and Satan was judged on the cross sin and Satan was judged on the cross every time the serpent bit these people all they needed to do is look at that for where's that pole as it they will live anything that's a miracle by looking at that pole that poison is already spreading everywhere what to do no no no you don't worry about that just look at the pole sin and Satan will be taken care of on that brass pole go through to answer your question look at this when God told Moses put the brass pole and serpent God did not take the serpents away what does he say and the serpent bites you then you look at the pole you didn't take the serpents away serpents were there it kept biting them but they only had to look at the brass pole you and I can look at Jesus when sin Satan and all the force of the devil comes against us just look at the cross take your focus and say God I'm looking at the cross I want to see the miracle of my life and then he who hangs on a tree talking about what Jesus did on the cross the Romans would typically take the dead body off the cross and throw them in the garbage dumps in Jerusalem look at that after us what they would also do is they would to speed in the debt they would break the people whoever sat who is being crucified they would break their knees break their bones so death is faster but the psalmist says not one of my bone was broken and Jesus resurrected from the dead he was not limping and walking there was no bone broken can you think of that how long does it take to break a bone one minute within a few seconds you can break a bone with all the excruciating pain and every suffering that Jesus went through not even one bone was broken do you think Jesus does not know how to look after our body he can he who hangs on the tree they would take that body and throw it in the garbage dumps but as it was written that he would not be his body will not see decay the blessings of Abraham included righteousness of by fate friendship with God victory over the enemies prosperity in the land and Christ did it for us we have all these blessings through the cross right Lucy okay Lucy says today a medical prescription shows the symbol the symbol of the brass pole with a snake around it but I don't think Lucy I don't think that is to show that's not the reason why they have it yeah it's a shunting no it's like I don't think it's a Christian no it's it's Lucy it's not a it's not a Christian it's not because of that that symbol is just a symbol that they have come up with yeah without knowing unknowingly they are using that showing people to look at Jesus Christ they don't know if they know about it they might not use that yeah but we but yeah what he's saying is right so but it's not a Christian yeah okay all right so I think we'll stop here because if we get into the cross in proper okay let's just quickly do this is that okay just few points of this go over view of this the cross in prophecy they will divide his garments and again Psalms 2 says against his anointed which is Jesus but this is more in detail they divide his garments look at this Psalms 20 to 16 to 80 for dogs have surrounded me the congregation the wicked has enclosed me they pierced my hands and my feet I count all I can count all my bones as they they look and stare at me they divide my garments among them and my clothing they cast lots think about this David is writing this again thousands of years before and he's saying they they surround me I can count my bones I'm in this weakness they stare at me they take my garments they tear it and they cast lots for it did they do that exactly what they did now the Roman soldiers didn't open Psalms 22 and say okay this is what was written so let's open Psalms 22 it says this so let's tell Roman soldiers don't know who's what is Psalms but it was to fulfill the prophecy the dogs see so he's writing in context with that time the dogs are you know the enemies the the Roman soldiers those who are against him right not one of his bones is broken he Psalms 34 20 his he guards all his bones not one of them is broken fierce witnesses Psalms 35 11 fierce witnesses rise up they ask me things that I do not know right now when you look at Jesus and the people who stood up against him right people who came witness yes yes I seen this person this Jesus said you can destroy this temple I will rise it up in three days he's the fellow he's the one I know his face very well and he's the one who said you know drink of my eat of my body drink of my blood he's got this whole group of disciples there doing all these miracles and all he's the one seated fierce witnesses then my own familiar friend Psalms 41 9 so beautiful even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted who I ate my bread as lifted his heal against me who is this talking about and he also says you know when you read it also says that for 30 pieces of silver already done before prophesied long time back right shame and spitting Isaiah 50 verse 30 verse 6 I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard I did not hide my face from shame and spitting this has happened they spat on him they pulled out his beard they ridiculed him and mocked him this is what was written about the cross wounded in my friend's house Zechariah 13 6 and one will say to him what are these wounds between your arms then he will answer those with which I was wounded the house of my friends look at this the most common one which we all know me whom they have pierced Zechariah 12 10 and I will pour on the house of David and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication then they will look on me whom they have pierced yes they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son and grieve for him as one grieves for a first one they will look upon me whom they have pierced will look upon Jesus Jesus was pierced think about this the the high priest said check whether he is dead the Romans when Roman soldier went what did he do pierced his side fulfilling prophecy just pierced with that spear pierced his side fulfilling prophecy written in Zechariah so everything that happened before the cross during the cross after the cross was all prophesied from the beginning God had decided it God had planned it out God knows what he's doing God knows what he did then God knows what he's doing now God knows what he will do in the future everything God is in control so that should be our trust now sometimes we see what's happening around us looks like everything is out of control no the devil may be working the devil satan is working doing his thought but God is in control amen do we believe that God is in control sometimes in my weakness in my when I'm very weak and I'm losing faith and I just say Psalms 139 says God you have ordained all the days of my life in your book even before one day came to me you've written all the days of my life you know you know everything that I'm going through and so we can just trust in him knowing that God is in control and he will never fail us amen all right we'll stop here and next class we'll get into chapter 16 the cross described thank you so much everyone good join have a good week ahead a good weekend I'll see you on next week next Friday God bless