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Why the Cross Changes Everything   By Massimo Lorenzini   The most influential person in the history of the world: Nobody knows the exact date of His birth, but His coming into the world split history into B.C. and A.D. He never wrote a book, but more books have been written about Him than anyone else in history and the only eye-witness accounts of His life and teachings have been translated into more languages than any other writing (2,000+). He never painted a picture or composed any poetry or music, but nobody’s life and teaching has been the subject of greater output of music, plays, and all other forms of art. He never raised an army, but millions of His followers have laid down their lives for Him. Every year about 330,000 are martyred for identifying with Him. During His public ministry, His travels were limited to an area about the size of New Jersey, yet today His influence is worldwide. He never spoke to more than a few thousand people, yet today His followers make up the largest religious group the world has ever known. He had no formal education, but thousands of schools, colleges, universities, and seminaries have been founded in His name. He never owned a property, He had to borrow a boat to sail in, a donkey to ride on, and even a coin to use for an illustration, but all around the world today thousands of hospitals, orphanages, churches, pregnancy care centers, and other buildings have been erected to carry out His work.   Who am I describing? JESUS!   Napoleon, “I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”   I want to share with you how truth of Easter changes everything. But first, I need to soften you up a bit and hopefully cause you to be interested to consider how the reality of Easter can change your life.   The Need for Wisdom Have you ever needed wisdom to make the right decision? Many times in my life I’ve faced decisions that I really didn’t know what the best decision was. I needed wisdom.   Dictionary definition of Wisdom: “The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.”   "Wisdom is the reasoned search for specific ways to assure well-being and the implementation of those discoveries in daily existence" (Crenshaw). Wisdom is the application of moral truth; skilled living; the application of knowledge to produce successful living.   Are you wise? Do you consider yourself to have the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting? Do know how to apply moral truth? Are you skilled at living?   Proverbs 4:5-13, 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you." 10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many. 11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.   The Wisdom of God vs. the Wisdom of Man The Bible declares that there are basically only two points of view regarding God, the world, man, and the purpose of life. The apostle Paul, in 1 Cor 1, calls them “the wisdom of God” and “the wisdom of man.” We might call these viewpoints, worldviews or philosophies of life. Whatever you want to call it, your worldview will affect every part of your life.   1 Cor 1:18-31,   18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- 31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."   The Wisdom of Man   A UCLA philosophy professor who was a prominent member of the American Humanist Association wrote an article in the American Humanist Magazine. In the article he recounted the tragic loss of his grandson, whose birth defect had taken his life before he reached three months of age. The professor told how he stood at the crib where the dead boy lay and emotionally told him, “My son, you shall live as long as I live, for you shall live in my mind!” That is hope?   Contrast this with the hope God gives us:   2 Sam 12:23, But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.   It is interesting to consider how almost everyone who experiences the loss of a loved one desires to have a Christian minister to conduct the funeral. Even those who ignored God, avoided religious conversation, never picked up a Bible, or allowed their minds to entertain the idea that God was relevant to their lives at all. Why do such people want a Christian minister around at times of loss? Because there is no real alternative source of comfort and hope.   Imagine, if I was asked to participate in the funeral of such a family and I decided to apply their own worldview to the situation. I’d have to say something like this:   “Well, when you’re dead you’re dead!” “You only got one life, might as well live it up!” “There’s no God we can turn to for hope or answers.” “There’s no life after death!”   That probably wouldn’t go over very well, because there’s no hope in that kind of thinking. In fact, in a world without God, death is just as normal as life. After all, we are products of random chance and long periods of time. Life is a cosmic accident. We have no real purpose for our existence. And death is the loss of nothing because our worldview offers us nothing. In the end, we are really a bunch of nobodies who came from nothing and are going nowhere! Have a nice day!   If you reject God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ, then be honest and admit that this is the logical conclusion of your worldview.   The name of this worldview that is based on the wisdom of man is called “Secular Humanism,” and it is a religion even though its proponents would like you to believe it is “scientific.”   Secular Humanism is a religion because all five of its basic tenets must be accepted by blind faith. In fact, there is evidence to contradict them, yet its advocates still cling to them.   The five tenets of Secular Humanism are: 1.      Atheism  à No God, no salvation, no life after death. The reason an atheist can’t find God is the same reason a thief can’t find a cop. 2.      Evolution à Man is an animal, the product of random chance and millions of years of blind evolution 3.      Moral relativism à No moral absolutes, everyone gets to decide right and wrong for himself. In a world without God, where evolution occurs by blind chance, there is no basis for right or wrong. “Whatever is, is right.” If that’s true, then nothing that was, was wrong. 4.      Human Perfectibility à Humans are basically good and we’re getting better all the time. Everyone has the ability and the right to “be all they can be.” 5.      Socialism à Big government, statism (The state will take care of all societal concerns. Citizens must surrender their personal freedoms for the good of the whole).   The United Nations was set up to bring Humanist ideals to the world. Today the UN is hopelessly irrelevant and incompetent to deal with the problems in our world. The one thing the UN and other liberal/humanist government leaders always say they need is “just a little more money.” And with more money, they only gain more bureaucratic control over people.   The American Humanist Association is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 religious organization and licenses a form of clergy they call “celebrants” to perform weddings, funerals, invocations, baby welcomings, etc.   Funeral Ceremony by Humanist Chaplain  B. Meredith Winn, Jr. “Look to this day! For it is life, the very life of life. In its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The Bliss of growth; the glory of action; the splendor of beauty; for yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day.” Many centuries ago, a man named Kalidasa said those words that emphasize the importance of each and every day and what we make of it. This is such a day and we must make the most of it. We gather here, caught on that cusp between the majesty of life and the mysteries of death. It is a balance we face every day, in some way or form. It was written that there is a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born and a time to die. Another writing says that it is appointed to man once to die, and then be judged. Perhaps it should say that it is appointed to men and women once to live. That is our challenge, to wring out of life it fullest measure of happiness, while accepting the finite nature of our mortal existence.   The channel for promoting Secular Humanism is the Academy founded Greek philosophers like Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and many others from before the time of Christ. It died off a bit with the spread of Christianity and was picked up again with French skepticism and German rationalism. Today, Secular Humanism is propagated in public education from grade-school to the university. Its influence is seen in the media, the entertainment industry, the fields of psychology, government, science, economics, and law.   Do you like the direction our country is going in? If so, you can thank the secular humanists because, for the most part, they are in control and the values of secular humanism are the values being promoted in our society today.   If you don’t like the direction our country is going in, are you part of the solution? Are you committed to the wisdom of God? Let’s take a look now at what the wisdom of God is all about.   The Wisdom of God   God’s wisdom is 180 in opposition to the wisdom of man.  The five basic principles of God’s wisdom are in complete contrast to man’s wisdom: God à Personal, infinite God who is loving and good. Creation à Man is created by God in His likeness. Man is not an animal, but was specially designed by God to represent Him in the world which He created. Moral Absolutes à As Creator, God is also the law-giver and judge. He sets the rules because He knows what is best for His creatures. Human depravity/salvation à Because of man’s rebellion, all are born with a sin nature, a bent to disobey God and live selfishly. We need salvation to overcome our sinfulness. Freedom with responsibility à Individual rights (private property, free enterprise, free speech, religious liberty, etc.) tempered with justice when such rights are violated yield the most desirable society. When man lives in harmony with God and in line with His rules, we can have freedom to prosper and take care of the world and other people to the glory of God.   When the Christian worldview dominated American culture, Americans enjoyed safe streets, low crime, good education, little government interference in our lives, high moral values, low birth rates outside of marriage, low divorce rates, concern for our fellow man, and the greatest personal freedoms of any country on earth.   The Cross is the Deciding Factor   You say, “What does all this have to do with Easter?” Easter is about the Cross. The resurrection of Christ validates the truthfulness of the message of the cross.   The cross of Christ is the deciding factor for each one of us, whether we are committed to the wisdom of God or the wisdom of man. The cross is like a giant fork in the road of humanity and each one must choose to accept it or reject it. There is no middle ground.   “Your attitude toward the cross reveals whether you are saved or lost.”   THE WISDOM OF MAN According to the wisdom of man “the message of the cross is foolishness” (1 Cor 1:18).   I would never want to be a member of a group whose symbol was a guy nailed to two pieces of wood. –Comedian George Carlin.   Friedrich Nietzsche, “The cross is the perfect symbol of the worst human imagination, because it is weakness distilled to its essence.”   “Behold the crucifix - what does it mean? Pallid incompetence hanging on a tree.” Anton LaVey, The Satanic Bible.   Do a self-test; are you living according to the wisdom of man?   See if this saying reflects your own attitude: “Life is the great indulgence - death, the great abstinence. Therefore, make the most of life - HERE AND NOW!” The Satanic Bible.   Believe in Self-Help? Say unto thine own heart, "I am mine own redeemer."   Look out for number 1? “Hate your enemies with a whole heart, and if a man smite you on one cheek, SMASH him on the other!; smite him hip and thigh, for self-preservation is the highest law!”   Choose your path and be consistent!   The wisdom of man teaches you “survival of the fittest.”   Make every decision based on expediency, self-promotion, self-glorification. Use people, don’t love and serve them. Get all you can, can all you get, and sit on your can!   God says to one like that, “You fool!” – Luke 12:15-21.   Luke 12, 15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."   Honestly examine yourself at this point. What has the wisdom of man done for you lately? What does it really have to offer the world?   THE WISDOM OF GOD According to the wisdom of God, the cross is “the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18).   The power of the cross is based on the fact of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. It is historical fact; it wasn't done in secret. The whole city of Jerusalem and the whole Roman Empire knew about it. It was news. It was the headline story in Roman Empire Today.   There are at least 15 historical references to Jesus meeting people, touching people, and talking with people after he had been crucified. One time he cooked breakfast for some people. One time He was seen by 500 people at once. A lot of people saw Him.   The resurrection has been studied by some of the greatest minds and turned skeptics into believers (see handout on the table for more). But greatest evidence for the resurrection is the dramatic change in the disciples from cowardly fear to bold courage. Their witness shook the world forever.   Jesus did rise, and that fact proves to us that He is who He said He was, He has the power He said He had, and He keeps the promises He makes.   When God raised Jesus from the dead He demonstrated that He accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for sin and validated everything Jesus taught and stood for. That means that the hope offered to us in the gospel is true. We can stake our lives on it! The “message of the cross … is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18).   What kind of power does the cross have? I will here mention only three ways that the cross has power to makes a difference in your life. Those three ways are: 1. Your Past. 2. Your Present. 3. Your Future. That’s all!   1. Your past can be forgiven. That's good news. Have you ever been halfway through a project and wished you could start over? (Give personal example.) A lot of times people feel that way about life. They get halfway through and wish they could start over. We have all done things we wish we hadn't done, said things we wish we hadn't said, and thought things we wish we hadn't thought. We all have regrets. We all feel bad about things. We all have guilt. We all wish we could change our past.   A fellow pastor received this letter: "I'm 31 years old and divorced, though I fought the divorce bitterly. I feel bad. I have no hope for my future. Often I go home and cry, but there's no one holding me when I cry. Nobody cares. Nothing changes, and I continue to fail. I'm stressed out emotionally, and I feel I'm on the verge of a collapse. Something is very wrong. But I feel so hurt and embittered that I can scarcely react or relate to others anymore. I feel as if I'm going to have to sit out the rest of my life in the penalty box."   The tragedy is there are a lot of people like that. They can't get on with the present and the future because they're stuck in the past. Some past mistake, guilt, or regret has tied them down. Sometimes they're letting a former relationship mess up their current relationship. They say, "I guess I'll just have to live with this the rest of my life."   Even if you don’t have any past regrets that are keeping you stuck in the past, you have a past track record of sins that God is fully aware of and you will have to answer for on the Day of Judgment.   You might be guilty of any number of sins that God will judge: Lying Stealing Idolatry (making a god to suit yourself, false religion, horoscope) Adultery (fornication, lust, pornography, etc) Murder (rage, hatred, anger, cruelty, violence, etc.) Abortion (having one, or encouraging and aiding one) The Occult, witchcraft Homosexuality Pedophilia   Here's the good news. Colossians 2:13-14 says: "13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross."   This is God's pardon program. Jesus nailed it all to the cross. He paid for my guilt. That means I don't have to pay for it. He was hung for my hang-ups. Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross, so I can quit nailing myself to the cross. He wants to forgive your past. He wants to cancel every debt you owe—your emotional debts, your relational debts, your sins debts against God. All canceled.   2. Your present can be changed. The number one complaint people have today is this: "My life is out of control." Millions of people right now, when they have some moment of silence to listen to their heart, say to themselves: I feel powerless to change this situation… I feel powerless to break this bad habit… I feel powerless to save this relationship… I feel powerless to get out of debt… I feel powerless to manage my life… I feel powerless to find peace…   What you need is a power greater than yourself. You were never meant to live this life on your own power. God wants to help you, to save you, to change you from the inside out. And the good news is that He is offering to save you today by His mighty power!   Ephesians 1:19-20 says: 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (NKJV).   19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms (NLT).   The same power that raised Jesus from death is available to you when you repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ. The same power of God that worked 2,000 years ago can work in your life right now.   God wants to help you. He wants to be at work in your life and change it for your good and His glory. Some of you came in here crawling emotionally and spiritually. You've had a tough week, maybe a tough year, you might even say you’ve had a tough life. God wants you to know that He cares and He can change your life. No problem is too big for God. No situation is hopeless if you'll turn to Him.   Let me warn you though, that there’s one sin I didn’t name in the previous list that is the deadliest. That sin might be at work in your heart right now and prevent you from turning to God: Pride (self-determination).   Proverbs 6, 16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.   1 Tim 3:6, not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.   Ezek 28, 2 "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. 3 Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? 4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. 5 By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud. 6 "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, 7 I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. 8 They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. 9 Will you then say, "I am a god," in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you. 10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. 10 I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.'"   11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. 19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'"   Isa 14:12-14, 12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.   3. Your future can be secure. One of the universal problems we've all got is death. The death rate is still 1:1 Let's face it—everybody dies. I'm going to die someday, and so are you. Only a fool would go all through life unprepared for something he knows in inevitable. That doesn't make sense. But sometimes we get so busy in the here and now, we don't stop to think about what's going to come.   People don't like to talk about death. If you don't believe me, invite your friends over, sit them down, serve them some coffee and pie, and say, "Let's talk about death." See what happens. Several years ago, U.S. News & World Report ran a cover article called "The Rekindling of Hell." It says more people believe in heaven and hell than ever before in American history. Why? Because people are wondering, "What's going to happen?"   There are a lot of misconceptions about heaven. Most of them come from movies with bad theology. These are cute little ideas of what somebody thinks heaven is going to be like.   What is it really going to be like? Let's check it out with the source. When you go to the Bible, what does God say it's really going to be like in heaven and hell?   Number one, heaven is a perfect place. Total love, total peace, total joy, total perfection. No sin, no mistakes, no evil, no bad, no errors. It's perfect in every area.   The second thing the Bible says is that in order for you to go there, you have to be perfect, because only perfection can exist in heaven. You say, "Well, thanks a lot. That leaves me out." Yeah, it leaves me out too. You say, "I'll never make it if I have to be perfect." Right! That's the point. Neither will I. Neither will any of us, because not one of us is perfect; we've all fallen short of God’s standard of perfect righteousness.   There are two ways to get to heaven. One is to earn it. That's the performance plan. And to earn it you only have to do this: never sin and always do what's right for the entire time that you live. Just be perfect.   Since none of us qualify for the performance, God graciously came up with another plan—the gospel plan. The gospel plan is this: You trust Jesus Christ when he says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."   I don't know what's going to happen next year, next month, next week. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, and neither do you. You and I don't know what the future holds. But that’s okay, because we can know the One who holds the future!   Conclusion   System Restore In Microsoft’s operating system, Windows XP, there is a built-in feature called System Restore. System Restore “is used to return your computer to an earlier state if you have a system failure or other major problem with your computer. The point of System Restore is to restore your system to a workable state without you having to reinstall the operating system and lose your data files in the process.”   Don’t you sometimes wish there were a System Restore feature for life, where everything could be easily fixed?   When things turn sour in a relationship and you say things you wish you had never said? When you bounce five checks in a row because you were a hundred dollars off in your checkbook? When you look at the fragments of a once happy family and realize you’ve ruined a good marriage and devastated the lives of your children by your selfishness? When you look back over your life and realize that it’s littered with the carnage of wasted opportunities or broken relationships? When you come face to face with the righteous requirements of God’s law and you realize you have sinned against Him and deserve His judgment?   The plan of God, the story that He is writing in history, is all about God restoring order, harmony, peace, and righteousness into the chaos and confusion of this fallen world through Jesus Christ.   Through Christ, God is gathering up a fragmented and alienated world. Through Christ, God can restore your life and soul. God can put the pieces of your life back together and make you whole.   What does Easter change? The death of death and the opening of eternal life. The forgiveness of sin and bestowal of complete righteousness. The evaporation of hopeless futility and entrance of purpose, life, and hope. The conversion of sinners into saints; the permanent deliverance from bondage to sin into true freedom; freedom to love God and people as we were created to.   Will you choose the wisdom of God and embrace the cross of Christ? You’ll be counted a fool in the eyes of the world.   Or, will you seek to be wise in your own eyes and choose the wisdom of man. If you do, you will be counted by God a fool.   There’s no middle ground:   Engraved on the Cathedral of Lubeck, Germany Ye call Me Master and obey Me not, Ye call Me Light and see Me not, Ye call Me Way and follow Me not, Ye call Me Life and desire Me not, Ye call Me wise and acknowledge Me not, Ye call Me fair and love Me not, Ye call Me rich and ask Me not, Ye call Me eternal and seek Me not, Ye call Me gracious and trust Me not, Ye call Me noble and serve Me not, Ye call Me mighty and honor Me not, Ye call Me just and fear Me not, If I condemn you, blame Me not. Signed - GOD

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