(Deeper Waters) Session 1 - the Purpose of the Cross — David Ravenhill

Turn with me if you will to the epistle of John and I want to Speak to you tonight on the purpose of the cross. My wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in August we met in Bible school. I got married and Began our ministry in 1964 in Teen Challenge in New York City with David Wilkerson.

And I've been going ever since so I am now in my 41st year of ministry. I Say all that to say this. I'm convinced after 40 years of ministry that we do not really understand why Jesus Christ died. That may sound very basic.

I am a sort of meat and potatoes type preacher. We're going to do some excavation work tonight, and I'm going to check your foundation. Because if the foundation is not right ultimately Everything is going to fall apart.

Building on the Foundation of Scripture

Jesus gave the story of two men at the end of Matthew 7 that built houses. One built his house on the rock. The other built his house on the sand when the storm came the house built on the sand of course fell apart and if you Go to your Webster's dictionary and look up the word sand it simply means loose.

Integrated Particles of rock I think is the definition. In other words we try and build on just little tiny proof texts if you like rather than the whole word of God. And as a result people don't make it.

We hear on a daily basis of men and women that are failing falling. I Am just completing a book now called surviving the anointing. As somebody said many years ago in Church where I was attending made this statement very few people survived the anointing and Anyway, I don't want to get off on to that let me get back on track here so I want to look at the cross and I want to lay a foundation first of all so this portion of Scripture 1 John the epistle of John chapter 2 Verses 12 13 and 14.

John is Addressing here three levels of spiritual maturity. He says I write you children. I write you young men. I write to your fathers. We begin the Christian life the way we begin the natural life we begin as babies.

Every single person in this room enter this world as a five six seven eight nine pound little boy little girl. Whatever the case may be and the wonderful thing about a baby is it has no past and The wonderful thing about a baby in Christ is it has no past.

If any man be in Christ is a new creature all things Have passed away all things have become new so he says here in verse 12. I'm writing to you little children. Because your sins have forgiven you for his name's sake.

That's where it all begins. The Christian life begins with a realization I'm a sinner only the blood of Christ can cleanse me and forgive me. And then he says I've written to you children in the latter part of verse 13 because you know the father like every child he comes into a relationship with his mother and father at least in a normal natural home and Likewise spiritually we come into this relationship whereby we can cry daddy Abba father it isn't too long after we are born again that we Realize that we are in a conflict.

We have an adversary that adversary is out to undermine and destroy our Christian faith. Walk the enemies there to sabotage the work of God to bring unbelief and doubt and fear and So on trying to lure us back into sin and bondage.

And so he says I write to you young men. Because you've overcome the evil one verse 14 again and so he says These. These are young men that know the Word of God because of knowing the Word of God are strong.

Because of being strong they're able to overcome and live a victorious Christian life. And then he says I write to your fathers. I write to your fathers. He says because you know him that is from the beginning.

I've always been disappointed in John's sort of revelation here because here he's sort of building right to your children. You know the father your sins have forgiven you. Right to you young man, you're strong the Word of God abides in you.

You've overcome the evil one and now he speaks about father's sort of full-blown maturity. So to speak and all he says is I write to you fathers because you know him that is from the beginning. In other words, he reverts back seemingly to what he says about the children.

You know the father. Now if I was writing it, I would put something like this, you know, I write to you fathers because you know. You've raised the dead. You've been on 340 day fast. You've memorized, you know the Book of Romans and Galatians and Ephesians or something and you know something that seems to have a little bit of Umph to it and a little bit of spiritual maturity to it.

And all he says is again. You know the father. Well, there's a big difference between knowing the father and what he says to the children. Or sorry knowing him that is from the beginning and what he says to the children, you know the father.

Children know a father from a very selfish point of view at least my three kids did we have three daughters. Grandchildren, of course by now as well, but most of my life I existed for my kids sake. It was daddy do this daddy do that daddy buy me an ice cream daddy push me on the swing daddy.

Buy me a bicycle, you know, daddy. Read me a story daddy do this and on and on and of course as they got older the toys got more expensive daddy I'm off to college. I need a Honda, you know but you know my role in life was to minister to their particular need and thank God that God condescends to our Level of maturity and he's there to bless us and meet every need that we have but knowing the father and knowing him that is from the beginning is.

There's a big difference. Fathers understand the big picture. Fathers See the beginning and the end of things. The reason a father disciplines his child is because he's not looking just at the immediate.

He's looking down the line of ways two three four ten twenty years or whatever. He says if I don't deal with this now, I'm gonna reap the consequences. And so he's always thinking in terms of The big picture or as children's live in the immediate realm, don't they you give them a toy?

They're happy brother or sister takes it away. They burst into tears. I mean everything revolves around the present. Anyway, I've said all that to say this the the beginning of things is Absolutely essential.

John more than any other writer talks about the beginning of things. He begins his gospel in the beginning was the word and the word was with God. He begins his epistle what was from the beginning what we've seen and heard and our hands of handle concerning the word of truth.

That's what we declare to you. He gives us the book of Revelation he talks about Jesus Christ being the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the ending and So he uses this word beginning over and over again.

Now we will never understand the cross or the purpose of the cross unless we go back to the beginning because The cross if you like is God's medicine for man's sickness. But we need to know what was God's Intention for man before he got sick in other words what did he look like when he was well, if you went to the doctor because you had some sort of a pain of some sort and the doctor prescribed some sort of medication and you take that medication and you get through taking it for ten days and you're still feeling exactly the way you did when you Started the medication you'd go back and say listen doc.

This is not working. This medication is not working. I've still got this pain. I've still got these throbbing migraines or whatever and this back pain and so on and so forth in order to understand the cross again.

We need to go back to the very beginning and see what man looked like when he was whole when he was healthy so to speak. So turn with me to the book of beginnings the book of Genesis and For a few minutes here.

I want us to try and get into the mind of God the understanding of God as to why he created man and So, let's look at man originally. You see you cannot restore something to its original condition unless you've seen it in its original condition.

Isn't that right? Imagine if I demolish this podium took it all apart every single last piece of wood and so on and We stack it up somewhere. And I called somebody in a carpenter and I said listen, would you restore this for me and I walk out of the room and I come back a few days later.

There could be any number of things that he's made. I come to end up with a coffee table a bookcase a casket, you know, whatever. Because unless he's seen it originally he can't restore it to its original condition.

The cross is to restore us to God's original plan God's original purpose. And so we need first of all to look at what man was like originally. In order to know what God is wanting to do in our lives. So Genesis 2 verse 15.

Humanity’s Original Calling: Submission, Location, and Vocation

This is before there was any sin before man rebelled and went on he's Doing his own thing. This is the way God originally intended you and I to be. Verse 15 the Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it.

Three words that we can sort of extract from that verse the word submission the word location the word vocation. First of all the word submission the Lord God took the man. Man was totally compliant subservient yielded to God as Lord not simply God, but the Lord God the master the creator the owner and He was able to take man again without any Resistance or any objection on men's part and he was able to place him in a geographical location in this case of course, it was a garden of Eden and In that geographical location.

He revealed why he placed him there. In other words, this is your vocation. Your vocation is to look after this garden and so on to serve me to serve my interest to do what I Want you to do. In other words, you're under my authority.

I'm gonna tell you what you do in the case of Adam. Of course, I want you to cultivate and keep the God. Now I'm convinced that if God has his way in our life. If we fully understand the cross God is wanting to reach into your life in my life.

Without any resistance or any objection on our part. Places in a Geographical location of his choosing not our choosing and in that geographical location reveal why he's placed us there. Obviously to serve him and serve his purpose.

Now let's look at some other scriptures again. We're trying to get into the understanding of God here the book of Colossians. Colossians chapter 1 Verse 16 for by him all things were created. Both in the heavens and on earth visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.

All things have been created by him. Let's pause there. I trust you don't have a problem with that. The Bible makes it very very clear. Old Testament New Testament book after book after book verse after verse.

God is the creator of all things. I Billion years of age to it. Isn't that right? After all he created Adam with vintage. He created wine with vintage a caner of Galilee and so he could create a rock right now.

That is a billion years old. And so I don't have a problem with the fact that the earth may be a billion years old. Even though it may be only six thousand years old. All those things have never worried me because I believe the Word of God.

God is God he can do whatever he wants. But it says here not only that we're all things created by him, but all things were created for him. In other words Paul sort of tweaks it a little bit now and he takes it out of this sort of general Area of you know, God is the creator of all things and now he tells us why everything was created specifically not only by him.

But for him. Which includes of course? Your life and my life. God created us for himself. Revelation chapter 4 verse 11 worthy art thou our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power for thou didst create all things and Because of your will they existed and were created.

King James says and for your pleasure. They were created so God created everything but he created everything for his will for his pleasure for his purpose. Again, which includes your life in my life God has a purpose For you and That is why he created us over into the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews chapter 2 Verse 10 for it was fitting for him speaking of Christ. For whom are all things and through whom are all things? Let me put it in the order of the verses we've been looking at for it was fitting for him.

Through whom are all things. In other words, everything came into being through him and. For whom are all things? Over into the book of Romans. Romans chapter 11 if I said to you Romans 12 and verse 1 how many could recite that.

I Beseech you therefore brethren now how many can recite the rest of it most of you. Okay, if you back up one verse. It says for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be the glory forever.

Amen, this is one of John Paul's great revelations. Everything he says comes from God. He is the author. He is the creator of all things, but he says not only is it from him. But it is through him. In other words.

He is not only the creator of all things. He is the Sustainer of all things in him we live we move we have our very being and. So it is from him and through him and then to him are all things. Therefore I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you present back to God that which is from him.

That which exists through him and that which belongs to him as your reasonable offering of worship. In other words Paul is laying a foundation here. It's one of the worst chapter divisions. I know of in the Bible.

Because it sort of blows it. You know, everything is from him everything is through him. Everything belongs to him. So the least you can do is give back to God that which he created that which he sustains that which belongs to him.

So he is the originator of all things. Again, he holds all things together, but he is the consummator of all things as well now God's original plan obviously was thwarted by man's sin. Man chose to rebel against God.

Isaiah 53 in verse 6 puts it this way all we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. Obviously in opposition to God's way all of us and from the moment we are born Self occupies the throne of our life.

Isn't that right? Doesn't take long there's a little baby back there doesn't take that long for that little one to Know how to get its own way. You know it emerges out of this womb of after nine months and comes into the limelight brothers and sisters aunts and uncles mom and dad and neighbors and so on wanting to Come and see this beautiful little creation and you know Can I hold her can you know isn't he cute or isn't she cute and so on your baby gets passed around and it thinks boy I'm the center of the universe.

Pretty soon it gets exhausted from all the attention falls asleep. Mother tiptoes into the bedroom lays it on the bed. You know puts the light out baby sleeping. Baby wakes up three or four hours later thinks it's back in the womb again all its fan club is gone.

You know all the admirers have disappeared and so on what's going on lets out a bellow and of course all of a sudden Center of attention again mother runs in you know fusses with the baby turns on the light you know sits in the rocking chair and This is what life's all about me and We perfect from birth virtually how to get our own way.

Don't wait all that baby has to do is wake up in the middle of night. It knows that a certain Bellow of some sort will get a certain response. It may not be hungry. It may not be wet it just simply wants a little bit of attention and So it lets out a scream and you know within a matter of seconds mother's in there.

Father rolls over pretends. He doesn't hear another thing. You know hear a thing honor to whom honor is due been there done that but You know mother rushes in again turns on the light turns on the music box.

It's in there you know after all the Bible says train up a mother in the way she should go and when she's old should not depart from It and so that little one wraps that mother around her finger bait basically now as we get older again We perfect the art of selfishness and so when we hear about the cross We immediately respond from a selfish point of view.

The Cross and the Rejection of Self-Lordship

Let's imagine there's a big cross here if you can and you look at that cross and you say what's in it for me. After all, that's what your life has been about for the last 10 15 20 years, whatever. You know, how do I get ahead?

How can I con this person or can I have my way and you know get what I want and so on? So here is the cross what's in it for me? What does Jesus Christ done for me? And out of that comes of course the teaching that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you.

So that you don't have to go to hell you can go to heaven. Not only can you go to heaven but you'll get a mansion over the hill top if you you know Do a few good deeds and that appeals to our selfishness and we think why what a great deal, you know.

How can I refuse this offer of the evangelist? He's made it so simple all I've got to do is line up with the rest of the gang up there at the front and Go through a little sinners prayer walk down the Romans Road and hey, my mansion is secure and So that's the basis on which most of us get saved now.

I don't want to belittle that totally but I do want to show you that there is a another side to the cross a side that we no longer proclaim a Side that we have, you know gradually sort of eradicated from our theology and certainly from our teaching.

But before we look at these scriptures Let me give you an illustration because I want to sort of set the the mood here for what I want to say let's imagine that my wife and I have only been married for one year and Let's say we started our married life with a number of debts and we have agreed together as a married couple that we will not buy any sort of luxury items at all until we've paid off every debt and At the end of the year comes and we have paid off every debt that we have we now have accumulated $1 ,000 between the two of us.

We've been working hard taking extra jobs and so on. So we have a thousand dollars in the bank. All our bills have been paid. Let's also assume that in the year in which we have lived in this particular community.

We have established a reputation In the neighborhood as being mr. And mrs. Clean everything about our lives is immaculate. You know, even though we don't have much in our home if you come into our home, everything is perfect.

Windows are always nicely, you know Windexed and so on the lawn is beautifully manicured. And so this reputation has gone around that we are known as the you know Perfectionist if you like mr. And mrs. Clean.

I Say to my wife one day I say darling, you know, this is getting embarrassing not having a car because we have done without a car. We've been relying on people to pick us up and take us places. And so I say, you know, we really need a car and she said boy, it'd be great to have a car.

I said, well, why don't we buy one? She said well, we've only got $1 ,000. I said I know but let's believe that God can do a miracle and give us something that is reliable for $1 ,000. She said well if if you think so and So I said well listen, this is sort of my department to you Pray and I'll go out looking for a car.

And so I hit the streets and look around spend most of the morning driving cars and finally come across this car for 995 bucks get a $5 change and I buy this car. It's 25 years of age it's Filthy. But the engine seems to be running reasonably smoothly.

And so I think you know, this thing it's got a little bit more life in it. I Drive that car home and I take it to the back of the house and I begin washing that car. I spend hours cleaning. Excuse me cleaning that car.

After several buckets of soapy water I take some solvent to remove all the grease and grime. The water is not Removed. I then cut and polish the car and pretty soon the color comes back almost like brand new.

I do all the chrome work. That's when cars had chrome. I blacken the wheels and Finally I tackle the inside. Take the vacuum cleaner. Clean all the carpets the upholstery. Take some upholstery cleaner.

Do the upholstery cleaning shampoo the carpets. Armor all the dash, you know and so on. Then I take all this cleaning material into the house. I've got paper paper towels. I've got rags. I've got sponges.

I've got this huge bucket of absolutely filthy water. I take the contents of the vacuum cleaner and I shred it and I shake it out on the kitchen table. Here is this huge Mound of you know dust and dirt and so on and then I call my wife from prayer.

And I said darling here quick quick quick quick. You got to see what I've got and she comes in the kitchen and I point and I said I bet you never dreamed That when I left this morning, I would get that much dirt for $1 ,000.

And she looks at me like you're looking at me and. And I'm all excited. I say, you know, I bet you only thought I get about this much dirt, but look at that I mean look all of that. I mean all that filth.

Can you imagine what an incredible deal that is? I mean a thousand. I bet you never dreamed. I'd be that successful. She's gonna take my temperature and put me to bed or something. And otherwise she's gonna explode and say you're crazy, you know.

Don't you know we're known as mr. And mrs. Clean and you're absolutely ruining our reputation. I've never seen so much filth in my entire life. Get it out of here. You see the reason I bought the car had nothing to do with the dirt.

It had everything to do with the car. I didn't go looking for dirt. I went looking for a vessel. For my purpose as a byproduct take that with a grain of salt in order to protect my reputation. I had to wash the car because that car is going to be an extension of who I am and Therefore it has to be clean.

Otherwise, there goes my reputation. If I drive around in a filthy car people are gonna say, you know those Raven Hills they fooled us. You know, everybody thinks they're mr. And mrs. Clean and perfect and so on.

Have you seen what he's driving around and that has got to be the filthiest car I've ever seen in my life. But the real object of my payment had nothing to do with the sin in that sense it had everything to do with the car.

Isn't that right? Some of you aren't quite sure. All right. So let's look at some scriptures with that in mind all these scriptures deal with the Atonement. They all deal with the cross. They all deal with the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ’s Lordship in the Atonement

And so let's look at why Jesus Christ died Romans 14 Verses 7 8 and 9 for not one of us lives for himself. No one dies for himself. For if we live we live for the Lord. If we die we die for the Lord. Therefore whether we live or die We are the Lord's.

So whether you're alive or dead some of you are on your way out. Yeah, I know it's late, but you are the Lord's verse 9 for to this end Christ died. Let me say that again for this end or this reason Christ died and lived again.

That he might be Lord of the dead and the living. Why did he die to reestablish Lordship? Remember in Genesis the Lord God took the man. That's the reason he died. It says not just to take away your sin.

Oh. Again, I don't want to you know. Belittle that I just simply want to put it aside because we are so familiar with that dimension of the Atonement. But it says here He died for this reason that he might be Lord of the dead and the living over into the book of Titus Timothy and then Titus Titus chapter 2 Verse 14 he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed.

All right, let's pause there for a moment. Again, imagine a cross here. There are two sides to the cross. There is man's side and there is God's side. Jesus Christ died as much for God's sake as he did for man's sake.

Now don't get me wrong God did not need redeeming but there was a reason that Jesus Christ died for God's sake as well as man's sake. We don't know about that because we are selfish and all we want to know is what's in it for me.

So, let me tell you what's in it for you because this is the side of the cross. We're familiar with man's side. It says he died for all. Or he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed.

In other words We are cleansed. We are washed every sin every iniquity has been Cleansed by the blood of Christ on this side of the cross. We are justified by faith on this side of the cross. We have the peace of God.

We have peace with God on this side of the cross. We are taken out of one kingdom the kingdom of darkness brought into the kingdom of God's dear son. We are born into the family of God. Spirit of God witnesses are testifies to us that we are his Children and We can cry daddy or Abba father.

Now, that's the side of the cross again. We are familiar with the forgiveness of sins. But then notice what Paul says here writing to Titus. He says not only did he give himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed, but it says and purify for himself a people for his own possession.

Zealous for good works now, that's the buying of the car. Purify for himself a people in other words. God is not really interested in your sin. How do we know that because of what he does with it? The Bible says as far as the East is from the West and if it's this way that way I'm confused.

But anyway, as far as the East is from the West so far as he want removed our transgressions from us one of the minor prophets I always forget which one says he's taken our sins and he's buried them in the depths of the sea.

Corrie ten boone used to say and he's put up a little sign no fishing here. Thank God for that. Your sins are in the sea of God's forgetfulness. In other words God is not interested in your sin, he gets rid of your sin.

He buries it in the deepest place in the entire world depths of the sea. It's gone. You see your sin has no value to God. Your sin cannot pray your sin cannot witness your sin cannot evangelize your sin cannot tithe your sin is useless hopeless.

And God does not have a great big sin collection. You know, he doesn't gather around with some of his cherubim and seraphim every once in a while when there's peace on earth. Which isn't very often, you know, he's got a night off type thing and he reaches up into his Great vast library of heaven pulls down on these big leather volumes and says listen if I ever showed you my sin collection.

You know, look at this, you know, I've got some of the rarest sins in the entire world here, you know. In fact this one here. You know, there's only one that I know of in the entire world. I just got it on eBay the other night now.

You know, God is not interested in your sin. What he is interested in is what he created for himself. That he might redeem for himself a people for his own possession. Over into 2nd Corinthians Chapter 5 again, all of these verses now dealing about the one theme of the cross verse 15.

I think this is the best single verse in the Bible as to why Jesus Christ died. It's time. We gave John 3 16 a little bit of a break, isn't it? You know, I've knocked on doors from California to or from San Francisco to Nova Scotia.

Down the Caribbean the Pacific Islands. I was seven years in youth of the mission right back in the very early days when it just began there are only about 20 of us at that time and You know, you go up to a door with your partner and say my name is David and this is Mary or John or whatever.

And we're here to share with you what Christ has done in our life and so on. Of course the door many times will close faster than it opened or you would get a statement like this. Who do you think I am a heathen or something?

In other words, everybody believes don't they? Including the devil. But that doesn't make you born again of the Spirit of God. So John 3 16, you know, we the word believe needs to you know. Be redefined and it is of course in the Greek to trust in and rely on and so on so forth.

But here's a good verse to replace it with anyway verse 15. He died for all. The day who live should no longer live for themselves. In other words prior to accepting Christ you are motivated by selfishness.

You live for yourself the essence of all sin is selfishness, isn't it? That's why when Jesus said to somebody, you know, if you're gonna come after me He didn't say here's a list of 800, you know thousand sins and I realize it's the 20th century and you know I'm gonna lower the bar a little bit and grade on the curve.

And so if you can get you know, if you're willing to give up 80 you can be my disciple. No, he simply took the axe and laid it at the root and said if any man come after me let him die to self because everything springs from selfishness the reason I cheat the reason I lie the reason I smoke the reason I Sleep around or whatever.

It is that I'm doing is because I want to gratify Myself and so Jesus simply took the axe again and said if any man come after me, he's got to die to self. Take up his cross and follow me. So here it says he died for all that they who live should no longer live for themselves but For him who died and rose again on their behalf.

In other words, the cross is to radically change our entire reason for living. Prior to accepting Christ. We are motivated by self. We live for ourself as a Christian. We are to live for him 100 or not on Sundays for an hour or so.

If you're a little more spiritual, you know Wednesday night for an hour but 24 -7. We are to live for him. He is to be our motivation. He is to be our life when Christ who is our life shall appear. Paul says for me to live is Christ and to die is gain so he wasn't just writing things.

He was living it out. Over into the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 5 Verse 9 this whole chapter, of course is this wonderful? At least the climax is this incredible anthem to the Lamb of God. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing and so on but we go back to Verse 9 they sang a new song saying worthy art thou to take the book and to break its seals for thou was slain.

Referring again back to the cross and its purchase for God with thy blood men. From every tribe and tongue and people and nation notice what he purchased with his blood men women, of course. In other words not sin.

He purchased for God. That's why I say when Jesus Christ died on the cross He died as much for God's sake as he did for man's sake. Why. Because he went to purchase for the father. What the father created for himself?

He wanted to give back to God that which Again had gone astray. That's what a shepherd does. He goes out seeking for the sheep that have gone astray and he brings them back. And so he purchased with his blood men not sin.

The car is what he's after not the dirt. The dirt has no value the car does. You have value your sin has no value. Oh, thank you 1 Corinthians Chapter 6 as you're turning to this, let me give you a Just a brief word of testimony.

Personal Surrender and the Meaning of Being Bought

You heard a little bit about my. About my background. I was raised in a Christian home. My father started preaching on the streets when he was 17. He died at 87. So he's got 30 more years of ministry than I have.