Al Whittinghill 03 — Al Whittinghill

The Cross as the Foundation of the Gospel

He said, I want to tell you first of all, most foundational, most important of all, how Christ died for us according to the scriptures. And he was raised to the third day according to the scriptures. It's nailing down the word of the cross to men and women's hearts, based upon the precious word of God.

And then the Lord will take the consequences. You see, he will take the consequences. God is not looking for something to happen. He's not looking for sponsors. He's not needing that anybody should testify of him.

He's not in trouble. He is not wringing his hands saying, we'll go for it. He's not like that. Who will go for us? Who has the privilege of saying yes to utter sovereign majesty, who's gloriously loving and absolutely holy and his truth endures forever.

And those who are his will also endure with him forever. In Philippians chapter three, again, I'm going to just rub it with my back to the Lord. And I'm going to tell you this, that we are a spectacle, we're like in the Roman Coliseum, always in suffering.

And we are like the Ajax, the off scouring, you scrub a dirty pot and go down the pan. Don't blame all the stuff that God will make you rich and all the rest. He might make you rich, but you better walk more carefully.

Apostolic Suffering and the Cost of Ministry

If he does, he's saying it's the cross. This is the credential. Prove your apostleship. And then he gives that awesome list in Corinthians six and 11 of all the things that apostle went through to make a full proof of their ministry.

And so he writes to the Philippians. Now to the Philippians, sins never mentioned in the book of Philippians. Not in the book of Philippians. But in the book of Philippians, he's saying, look through me because you see, there's others to say, and Mark Mark those others which walk in the same way.

So you have us for a two box store for typesetting, like you hit something, leave a letter right there. It's an impression of the mind of Christ that he's been talking about for two and a half chapters.

The mind of Christ making an impression in the life, getting down on the page like that. Mark those Scorpio. And he says this verse 18 for many, not just a few stragglers for many walk of whom I've told you often.

And I now tell you even weeping enemies of the cross of Christ. Now, if you were to ask these people, are you the enemies of Jesus Christ? Yes. Oh no. We love Jesus. We love Jesus. It doesn't say that the enemies of Jesus, it says that the enemies of the cross of Jesus.

And it says their end is destruction. It's a strong word there. And it says their description. Whose God is there. That's a idiom. That means when they said earlier means for the belly and the belly for me to meet their, their, their chemical natures and all the epithelia, the, the lusts of their life guide him and provoke them and affect all their decisions or some of their decisions.

Their God is their belly. They just think that their naturalness is to be Lord enemies of the cross of Christ. Second thing it says though, not only is there God, their belly, but their glory is in their shame.

Paul said he's in the cross, but these people, if they knew the cross, these people are boasting about the things that if they knew the cross, it would bring shame. It would bring shame that if we really knew the revelation from God, the cross revealed to the cross revealed in me.

Oh, and I'm beginning to be changed. And it's the longer I had, I'd increase. He increases them. If he, if he comes to me to live, it's Christ. And every time I'm put in a situation that the outer man can decrease, then life flows out.

And the Lord Jesus is revealed more and more. That's what he's saying. That's his glory. And the third thing is they mind your earthly things, my earthly things. They don't have enough time for prayer meeting.

They don't have enough time for, they're always busy with this and they're all good things. The good has robbed them of what the cross will produce that list, but it makes him an enemy of the cross. As you see in that passage, there's an example of the cross and there's an enemy of the cross.

The Cross as the Test of Discipleship

And I wonder today where we would say we are in this whole scenario. You see, because for us to say that we love Jesus and disregard his cross is a serious thing. The apostle preached these words. Crucifixion is preached in all but three new Testament books.

The cross is in Philemon and second and third job. The cross is mentioned in every new Testament book. Over half of most of the gospels relate to the passion week and Paul preached the cross for 15 years, as I said, before he ever wrote down an epistle.

So what are they singing about in heaven? This moment, they're singing about the cross and the atonement that the lamb of God accomplished there. That's the most intelligent worship in eternity right now.

And each of us must face this. If you're a preacher here today, you got to face this. You got to face this. You see the test of every man's preaching is the word of the cross. That's the test of it. You see, it's the, uh, it's the passion of our Lord, his cross.

And the test of true discipleship is, is the message foolishness to the world? Not that they feel comfortable. All over the world feels comfortable coming into your church and your church is back. So the message is foolishness to the world.

It's offensive. They can't receive it. So you see, preaching the cross is the test of the origin, origin of our message. It shows where it's from. It shows who's behind it. And that's what we've got to get back to in our day.

If, if I don't preach the cross, I misrepresent the gospel and it becomes another gospel. And Paul said, if any man does this, this is serious. Let him be accursed. Maybe this is what's wrong with some of the ministries around us that they've gotten so caught up in the momentum of nickels and noses and momentum and methodology and purpose driven.

We shouldn't be person driven with a person of purpose driven. We should be personality driven by the person of the Lord Jesus and person enlightened. And it should not be overloaded. It should be overflowed, overflowed, joyous, glad readings by the precious blood of sprinklings.

Why Ministry Without the Cross Becomes Spiritually Sterile

So any part, any ministry not committed to preaching the word of the cross, however brilliant it may appear, however educated it may seem, however comforting and thrilling it is doomed to sterility. In these things of eternity, without a cross, it's just cross was preaching.

It's the spawning ground to every Harrison. All this must be the cross. It's never through. He, he took his own blood from the cross and sprinkled the things of heaven. Heaven changed for the Lord. Jesus went to heaven.

It says he, he sprinkled the things that better in heaven. He sprinkled with his own blood like Moses did in the tabernacle. It was better than bulls and goats, but he took his own blood through the heavens in the sprinkling, the throne of God.

He became the throne of grace. And today we'll be to the person who puts the blood out of their message and takes the cross for the preaching and loses sight of the great exchange. No longer. Our seeming strengths.

What we think we have is strong. It comes to others to say with that. Also, it's spiritual. It's robbing God in the truest sense of the word. So each of us must receive a heavenly vision of the cross revealed to us and the cross revealed in us.

It's a heavenly passion in our bones. The God of the cross. It's like a burning fire in the heart and it lights the altar and it keeps you burning. It's cosmic ratings. So we communicate the unseen realities as people begin to realize the reality of the strength of it all.

The Cross and Daily Freedom from Sin

So you see, as long as the word of the cross is discarded, the work of the church. Have you dealt with those things that you ever wonder why you have to keep confessing the same thing over and over and over again?

I'm sorry. I have this anger problem again. I have it again. You see, maybe you're cleaning up spider webs. Maybe you're just mopping up. It's sloppy. Agape. Okay. You need to come to the cross and let the Lord Jesus with the final verdict.

You have to do it every day, but it will all emanate out of that way. Great, glorious moment. Just like your life in Christ emanates from that moment when you were begotten of the Holy Spirit through the word of God and you were born again.

And now you live in him and move and have your being. There is a moment when the revelation of the cross, like revealed to you, where you come and you say to him, Lord, I choose it to this day. I choose it today by revelation of your mercies to me.

Oh, I haven't gotten what I deserve and I'm about to get what I don't deserve. Oh God, I choose that the cross put its deepest effect in my heart and take me captive by the love of Christ. Chain me to your chair.

Chain me to your cross. You see that the cross is the doorway out of captivity. It's the entrance into the abundant life. It's the way to begin revival. It's the way to continue revival. It's all said and done.

The cross you take off will lay in your grave and will carry you to heaven. It will carry you right to his presence. And there you will be singing about him and his atonement. For us, just manifested the crossroads of history.

The crossroads of the world is the cross. The cross where I first saw the light. Here's a great secret. It's not the presence of the cross in your life that makes you miserable. It's the absence for a Christian.

Oh, the cross might make me miserable. Like, like wings to a bird would make a bird would have its wings make them miserable. Oh, so is the cross to the Christian. Have you been set free? Don't let the devil talk you out of freedom.

Don't let your situation talk you out of freedom. It's better to have Christ's cross than any king's kiss. Oh, any other king, who wants, who cares? Are you willing to be set free? We've been praying.

Renouncing Self-Will and Surrendering to Christ

There's been some awesome things going on. I've been marveling at how these messages have been tailored together. And how the Lord is weaving them into a message to all of us. That if we will indeed say no to ourselves.

And it's over for me. I'm going to ask you today if you're willing to have two different things. I mean with your full volition. Intelligent consecration. In a moment just as when you truly pray and receive the Lord.

That you could say to Him. Lord, I say in my life. These things that are running around like mice in a whole house. And there's self-will in me. There's self-pleasing. And there's self-confidence. And self-elevation.

And I don't listen to people. Are your authorities in my life? And I know this is not right to say to Him. Lord, bring me. Let me deal with this as you speak to me. As you speak to me. And show me what you heard last night.

Like not now, so that way. And you are it every day. To live in the light of His countenance. You see, you live in the light of who He is. And what He is all about. I'm asking you to come to the feet of the Lord Jesus this day.

And quietly condemn yourself. As in the curse of the day. And to cast it down. To perhaps kneel at your chair. It's the afternoon. And I wouldn't ask you to come here. I wouldn't think of it in the day.

We all know it. But there's a better way to say this. It could be out in the middle of Main Street. And come and cast down before Him. What you understand to be. Your life. Yourself. All that you are.

And say, Son of God. I give myself utterly and totally to you. And to do your will. I choose to be the only reason that you leave me on this planet. Because if that's not the truth. He probably should have drowned you at baptism.

If all He wanted to do was teach you how to sing. He should have drowned you at baptism. If you believe in commercial. But I mean, He would have taken you right to His heaven. Because then you'd be happy.

You'd be able to sing. But He left you here. To be a revelation. Of the resurrection life. That day by day. Moment by moment. As long as every thought should be given over continually and more and more.

Crucified with Christ and the End of Self

Jesus, you see. We've got to get beyond rededication. We've got to get to renunciation. To renounce our own life. And come and receive this. So there's two things. I want you to have a funeral. For yourself.

An intelligent funeral. And that is the cross. When you come to the cross. And say Lord my life. I choose it to be over. It's just as real as signing the deed on your house. When you give it to someone else.

It's in the spirit. You're giving. You're giving away your rights. To happiness. And to a standard of living. And to all the things. It's all yours. I'm trusting you with it. It's over. I'm crucified with Christ.

And from now on. I ask you to bring it to my mind. And daily. Let me live in the power of this. Don't you know. That. As many that are. Buried with Christ. Have been. Crucified with him. And if you don't know that.

That's why there's all these. Deals in the church. As Paul is saying in Romans six. But ten times. In the first ten verses. He uses an heiress to say. You're dead. You're dead. You're dead. You're dead.

And because of the fact. That you're dead. You can appropriate that fact. And recommend it so. And choose daily. To take up your cross. And then you can. Yield yourself. To the. To the living God. And let his spirit.

Live in you. You can do this. Day by day. Because. It's God that works in you. To will. Yes Lord. To will. And to do. His good pleasure. You may have to work it out. With fear and trembling. Which you will.

Because that's good for us. To trust him. I determined to know nothing. Among you saved Jesus. And him crucified. I was among you. In fear and trembling. Paul did it. He knew what he meant. So. No more.

Fear of death. Because you're already dead. No more fear of loss. Because you've given it up. You take up. Your cross. Listen to this point. I've got a point here. I want to read you. Pain and sorrow.

That a time. Could ever be. That I proudly said to Jesus. Oh. Yet. He found me. I beheld him. Bleeding on that cursive tree. And my restful heart. Said faintly. Your mercy. Healing. Helping. Full. And full.

Revival Begins at the Altar of the Cross

In my heart. The best place to start. Is to bring Jesus. The best place to start. The best place. To start revival. Is to get down. And put the cross upon the Lord. Jesus. And let that be an altar. And say.

Lord. Send the fire. I'm going to wait on you. To send the fire. And not only just deal with what. I want to deal with. I'm going to deal with. What you want to deal with. It's your choice. It may shock you.

What you want to deal with. Let's have a funeral. I want to bow with you and perhaps, perhaps you'd like to make your chair into an altar. I don't like to do this kind of stuff because people start feeling pressure.

Oh, everybody else is getting down. Don't even think like that. If the Lord Jesus says to you, turn your chair into an altar and get on it and let me have a funeral. Lord, just as real as a conflict, this day.

You can write it out. You can date it. This day, I acknowledge the fact that I am crucified with Christ. My life isn't over. And to me to live is Christ. And now to die is gain. Well, let's bow. We bow before you.

Prayer of Consecration and Crowning Christ as Lord

The power is not limited. You can change in a millisecond. You can speak. You can change a human. The power of this moment is that we come to you the right way. With a heart that's broken and contrite over the sin and failure of our own being.

But most of all because it's contrasted. We give in each heart that has understood what we've said today. That there would come an agreement with God's word. I am crucified. Yes, Lord. I say yes to it.

I don't have to kill myself. I am crucified. Already it's done. I reckon it's so. My life is over. This day I lay down myself before you. Lord, help me live out of the power of this moment of intelligent view.

Willingness to have the sentence of death within myself. That Christ might be. Are we all so? Moment. Not just wanting to be morbid. Just taste death. Unbalanced. We want to turn and say, Lord, we crown you.

Lord of all. You're worthy. You're worthy. Not only to take the book. You're worthy to take charge of every thought. Every impulse. Every desire. Every blood cell. Everything of all of us. Just in a moment of silence.

You tell him that. Deal with that. And I feel certain tonight. That the Lord will put his exclamation mark on this word. And you'll have your chance. To say what's in your heart. You tell him. Deal with him.

He surrenders much. Who surrenders all. No matter how small. His all may be. He surrenders nothing.