Take It To The Cross And Leave There

I recently preached a message that was about taking stuff in our lives and leaving them at the cross. It was meant to be a sermon about the things in our lives that we carry that we don’t need to keep. There were five different burdens that I said we need to take to the cross and leave there. These things, I believe, Christ takes there and nails it as sure as the nails held His hands.A couple of old hymns come to mind when I think about this subject. One is ‘Kneel at the Cross’ and the other is ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’. Both of these songs have the notion of taking things, burdens and problems to Jesus and leave them with him. In my message, that is the thought, giving them to Him and not carrying them with us anymore.

There were five characteristics to our lives that we should not carry back from the cross. One is our sins. This is the obvious one, which Jesus died for our sins. Paul, talking about the facts and great prophetic aspects of the cross, points out Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3, i.e. Isaiah 53, Psalms 22 and Daniel 9). It is for the sinner, lost and/or unsaved that the cross is where we take our sins. It is also for the Christian, for them to bring the sins of their walk with the Lord, also. The cross becomes our haven of rest, leaving the burden of sin, and not letting satan to convince us to take them back.

Secondly, our pride needs to be crucified. Jesus’ first mention about the cross was in relation to us laying ourselves (pride) aside (Matthew 10:38 & Mark 10:21). It is a battle that he equated to carrying the cross, something Jesus would do in a short time. Is crucifying our pride like that journey to the cross as much as nailing it to it. There may be some illustration here that is hard to take, but sure to teach. Our pride is hard to leave once we get to the place of crucifying. Pride is one of those attributes that is so naturally fleshy.

Thirdly, we should lay at the cross our shame. Shame is something we experience as an embarrassment or humiliation. Our sins will bring shame, as they should. The problem, for the saint, is that after forgiveness has been found we often keep the shame. I think Jesus wants us to live the shame also at the cross (Hebrews 12:2). Shame is not bad; it can get us back on track. The problem, of course is once we get the forgiveness of our sins; satan wants us to live in the shame of it. This is not God’s intention for us, but from as far as the east is from west he casts our sins, sending the shame with it.

Fourthly, we need to crucify our failures. Failure doesn’t necessary mean sin. Sometime we fail because it is the wrong time, wrong place or we are not even at fault. Satan wants you to think that your life is a failure, and that you can’t accomplish anything. Take this and his objections, to the cross and leave them there (Romans 6:6 & 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Finally, we need to bring our past to the cross and leave it there. By past, I mean your family, generational curses and circumstances you can’t control (adoption, divorce, etc.). Paul tells us that our old man has been crucified (Romans 6:6) and I believe that includes all the ‘old’ stuff that has accumulated in our lives. Don’t let satan tell you that what is in your past will haunt you, it doesn’t have to. God can make your life, all of it, new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Take it to the cross and leave it there…all of it!!

GOD BLESS

Tony