(Part 2) The Kingdom Without The Cross

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. He has to die on the cross, and because he is obedient even unto death, Philippians 2 says that he has given the name above all names.

Every knee will bow that Jesus is what? Jesus is Lord. So Jesus will give, he will get the kingdoms of this world, but he's not going to get it the devil's way. Here's the temptation. Jesus, you can have the kingdom without the cross.

That was tempting. You can have the kingdom without the cross. Jesus said in John chapter 10 verse 30, I and my father are one. So Jesus always lived to do the will of the father. This is something every Christian would agree with.

They say amen to Jesus always wanted to obey the father, didn't he? But there was one time where Jesus didn't want to do what the father said. Now, in the end, Jesus, his desire to please the father overcame.

But what was the one thing Jesus did not want to do? He did not want to die on the cross. What's the proof? Well, in the garden, he prayed to the father, if it be possible, take this cup from me. To be able to receive the kingdom without the cross, I submit to you, this is the greatest temptation.

Jesus is still a human being. No human being would want to go through that. This is the most excruciating death person could die. Plus, in his divinity, Jesus, as the pure son of God, there was something about taking the sin of the world upon himself.

And worst of all, being forsaken by the father. That wasn't something that Jesus was anxious to do. But nevertheless, we know he did it. Why? He said to the father, not my will be done, but thine. So Jesus was tempted.

You can have it all. You can have the kingdoms of this world without the cross. He was tempted, but he submitted to the father's will and he went to the cross. Number one, he did it for the father to obey the father because he loved the father.

But, you know, he did it for you as well. This is what Jesus did. He did something that in his flesh, for lack of a better term, he didn't want to do. But he did it for you. He did it to save you. The kingdom without the cross.

Could Satan offer this? Now, I know Satan's a liar and you can't necessarily take him at his word. But I believe Satan could offer that because 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, verse 4, Satan is called the god of this world.

He is the god of this age. He's the prince of the power of the air. 1st John 5, 19 says the whole world is under the sway of the wicked one. So I believe that, yeah, Satan had the power to offer this.

So avoiding the cross would have been the greatest temptation. This was the best weapon that Satan had in his arsenal, which is probably why he saved it for last. So this temptation was real. And it was, I believe it is so powerful.

Jesus never forgot it. He never forgot it. How do I know that? Turn to Matthew chapter 16 for a moment. Remember, I said that Satan often tempts us directly after we have been highly favored or praised.

It's sort of like he who thinks he stands, take heed, lest ye fall. When you're feeling good that, okay, I really got this figured out now. Satan can't get me now. I can't mess this up. Yeah, the famous last words, right?

So Satan does this again. Matthew 16. This is that passage where Peter makes that declaration of faith. Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. Look at Matthew 16, verse 16. Simon Peter, because Jesus had asked, who do men say that I am?

Who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered him and said, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you.

But my father who is in heaven. Friends, this was a great moment. Jesus is going around with his 12 disciples. And you know how they were. They didn't always understand. They were saying kind of dumb things at times.

His students finally got it. They finally understood. I mean, this was serious progress. Jesus had to feel good.

They finally got it.

But look at verse 21. From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem. He figures they can handle this now. Now that they understand, they can handle this. He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be what?

Killed. And be raised the third day. I don't know how much time has passed from Matthew 4 to Matthew 16. Maybe a year.

I don't know.

A significant amount of time. But back in Matthew 4, Jesus defeated the devil by overcoming temptation, right? Luke's gospel records it this way, that Satan departed until Luke writes a more opportune time.

So he wasn't completely done. Well, I think this was that opportune time. Look at verse 22. After Jesus tells the disciples that he must die, look what Peter says. Peter, the same man who just professed, thou art the Christ.

What does Peter say? Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you. And then Jesus turns to Peter and says, get behind me, Satan, for you are an offense to me.

For you are not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of men. Why did Jesus say that to Peter? Why did Jesus call Peter Satan? Because Jesus recognized this. He knew he's heard this before. He knows where this is coming from.

Satan was using Peter as his mouthpiece. What's Peter saying?

You're the king.

The kingdom is yours. But you're not going to die.

Right?

Sound familiar?

You will have the kingdom without the cross is basically what Peter is saying. Verse 10. Then Jesus said to him, away with you, Satan. This is going back to Matthew four. Jesus says to say away with you, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord, your God, and him only shall you serve.

So Jesus had to rebuke Peter. He had to rebuke Satan. Of course, he's rebuking Satan, who's using Peter at this moment. And then verse 11 of Matthew chapter four says, then the devil left him, and behold, the angels came and ministered to him.

Okay.

So we've gone through all that. What's the application? What's the takeaway from this? The kingdom without the cross. I want you to remember that phrase. That was the greatest temptation. The kingdom without the cross.

That's how Satan tempted Jesus. You know, he tempts us the same way. He tempts us that we can have the kingdom without the cross. The devil is still using this tactic. You know, the devil has convinced many people that being a Christian isn't necessary.

You don't need to believe that Jesus died on the cross. You can still get to heaven. You can still have the kingdom. You don't need to believe in Jesus. Besides, there's many paths, right? Isn't this the major view of our day?

There's many ways to God. You don't need to go through the cross. As long as you're sincere, that's all that matters. Besides, if God is a God of love, certainly he'll accept everybody.

What is that?

It's the same temptation. You can have the kingdom without the cross. And that's the way most people think today who are religious. So Satan has been successful in blinding the world to the recognition that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Most people would say, well, he is a way, but he's not the way. You say, well, but we know better. As Christians, we know better. So we don't have to worry about this temptation. Don't think that way.

So how does the devil tempt believers who maybe have that issue resolved? Well, remember what Jesus said about the cross in Matthew 16, 24. Jesus says, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up what?

The cross.

Do you realize every follower of Christ is called to take up the cross? You are to take up the cross. What are you supposed to do? Deny self. Take up your cross. Follow him. Take up your cross. Self-denial.

Well, that doesn't sound very fun, does it? Why would a good God want you to deny yourself?

Indulge.

You should indulge. There's only one life.

Only go around once.

Indulge.

Cause these stones to become bread. Isn't this what the devil tempts Christians to do? You don't need to spend your life serving God. I mean, you know, God's there when you need him, and he loves you, and everything's fine.

You don't need to actually, like, deny yourself and serve God, though. You should serve who? This is the greatest temptation. Kingdom without the cross. I'll still go to heaven, but I don't have to serve God.

I can serve myself and still get to heaven. I can do what I want and still get to heaven. Or you can serve God later. You can serve others later. Right now, serve yourself. My friend, Satan is so subtle.

So when we start thinking that way, that we, hey, we can have the kingdom, we don't need to take up our cross. We can kind of do what we want. When those temptations come, which they will come, what do we do?

We remember the cross of Christ. Why did Jesus overcome the temptation? He overcame because he chose to go to the cross. Jesus chose to do the hard thing. You need to choose to do the hard thing. This is the call for every believer to take up his cross daily.

We need to do the right thing even when we feel like doing the wrong thing. The test Jesus experienced was whether or not he would go to the cross or give in to the temptation of Satan. But our test is similar.

Our test is similar. Will we take up our cross? That's what we're told to do, isn't it?

All right. Right.

We go to what the Bible says, what God wants from us. Does God tell us to take up our cross daily?

Yep.

So by looking to the gospel of Christ crucified and risen, we find life. By taking up our cross daily, you realize that's how you live a joyful life? By not serving yourself? By not taking the easy way out?

It's so counterintuitive. We think we would be more happy if we indulge. I'll be more happy if I do this thing that I want to do. And then people that are just focused on themselves and serving themselves and indulging and this and that.

People like that are what?

Miserable.

The Lord tells us to serve him and to serve others. But that's hard. That's hard. Self-denial is hard. The average Christian message today is, hey, God loves you no matter what. You're a child of the king.

Isn't it great?

Okay, amen.

Let's go home. Self-denial is the real message. Do the hard thing. Serve God. Do the right thing even when it's not easy. And that's the path to joy. That's the path to God's blessing.

You want the kingdom? Do you want the kingdom?

Then take up your cross. Serve him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I just ask that your Holy Spirit would minister this message to each heart. I know this isn't something that I could ever convince anyone to do.

So I simply rely on the Spirit to do that work. And Lord, for me and for each one of us, it's so much easier to do the wrong thing, to do the easy thing. Lord, I pray that you would give us those tests, those opportunities.

Today, tomorrow, the coming weeks and months to come, to not serve ourselves but to serve you. And we know, Lord, that we serve you. Oftentimes we serve you by serving others. Give us a heart for obedience and a heart for other people that we may serve them in their time of need.

And we ask all these things in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornick Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, MorrisCornickChurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.