The Prayer Life of a Christian

This is the manuscript of the first sermon in a series on prayer, in preparation of a Holy Spirit directed season of corporate prayer for Christ Church.

Prayer has been an untapped resource, where untold treasure remains to be unearthed. Prayer is talked about more than anything else, in the church, and practiced less than anything else. And yet, for the believer it remains one of the greatest gifts our Lord has given us outside of salvation.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

A Christian must pray with persistence

A Christian must pray with passion

A Christian must pray with thankfulness

What does your prayer life look like today? Are you persistent in prayer? Are your prayers passionate or are they superficial? Are they filled with intensity and fervor or are they weak, timid and lacking faith? What about gratitude? How much time have you spent thanking God for all He has done for you? Is there a burden on your heart to see God's kingdom expand, to see His will done?

Scripture

Matthew 6:5‭-‬8 NIV “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Colossians 4:2‭-‬6 NIV Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Introduction

Text 

Colossians 4:2 NIV Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

F.B. Meyer, the author of the book, The Secret of Guidance said, "The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer."

Instead of it being something we do every day, like breathing, eating and walking and talking, prayer seems to have become like that glass covered box on the wall that says, "break in case of emergency." It is true that so very often we associate prayer with crises in our life.

I read a story of a man who encountered a bit of trouble while flying his airplane. He called the control tower and said, "Pilot to tower, I'm 300 miles from the airport, six hundred feet above the ground, and I'm out of fuel. I am descending rapidly….Please advise. Over." "Tower to pilot," the dispatcher began, "Repeat after me: "Our Father Who art in heaven...'"  

That might have been funny but, prayer is, for the most part, an untapped resource, where untold treasure remains to be unearthed. Prayer is talked about more than anything else, in the church, and practiced less than anything else. And yet, for the believer it remains one of the greatest gifts our Lord has given us outside of salvation.

The Apostle Paul was somebody who understood prayer and its power. Prayer was a part of Paul's life, and he took it for granted that it would be a part of the life of every Christian. You can't really be a good Christian and not pray, just like you can’t have a relationship with somebody unless you communicate, talk to them.  Prayer is the line of communication between God and His people, between God and those who love Him.

I want to talk about three things today that must be a part of the prayer life of a Christian 

1. A Christian must pray with persistence 

2. A Christian must pray with passion

3. A Christian must pray with thankfulness 

1. We must Pray with persistence

Our text, Colossians 4:2 says NIV Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

The same verse in the NKJV says, Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

In the  English Standard Version it says,  Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

The Greek word "proskartereo" is the word translated to "devote," It can also be translated, "persist in, adhere firmly to, remain devoted to, or to give unremitting care to." 

This word "proskartereo" carries with it the idea of dedication. In other words, the scripture is saying, be dedicated to prayer. 

Of the ten times "proskartereo" is used in the New Testament four of them have to do with being devoted to prayer. It is a very powerful word and, in this verse, 

Colossians 4:2 NIV Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful, "proskartereo", is given as an imperative, or a command. In other words, persistence in prayer is not an option for the Christian it is an order from the Lord Himself.

Two of the most instructive parables Jesus ever told on prayer, one in Luke 18 and the other in Luke 11, both have to do with being persistent and not giving up in prayer.

Luke 18:1‭-‬8 NIV Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Be persistent!

Luke 11:9 NIV is a promise and it says “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

But let's read the whole thing

Luke 11:5‭-‬13 NIV Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The verbs in verse 9, ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense, active voice and could be translated, "keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking." Jesus does not want us to give up in prayer, He instructs us to be persistent.

Now there is a difference between a persistent prayer and a long prayer. A person who is persistent in prayer does not necessarily have to pray for a long time. 

Persistence means not giving up. Some people give up easily, they quit because they say they don't feel like praying, the joy is gone, the feeling is gone. But we are not to live by our feelings but to live by the commandments of our Lord who tells us to pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

To “pray continually” means to have our minds always on the things of God, to be in constant communication with him, so that every moment may be as fruitful as possible.

George Muller was a Christian Evangelist and the Director of an orphanage in England, and he was known as a great prayer warrior.  Here is what he had to say about persistence in prayer"

"It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The truth is that, in order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray."

We must be persistent in prayer.

2. We must also pray with passion

If you are persistent in something, you are passionate about it. 

Colossians 4:2 NIV Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

This describes passionate prayer.

Jesus, who is our greatest example, was passionate about His prayer life, it was something He was always doing.

S.D. Gordon in his book, Quiet Talks on Prayer, says; “How much prayer meant to Jesus! It was not only his regular habit, but his resort in every emergency… When perplexed he prayed. When hard pressed by work he prayed. When hungry for fellowship he found it in prayer. He chose his associates and received his messages upon his knees. If tempted, he prayed. If criticized, he prayed. If fatigued in body or wearied in spirit, he had recourse to his one unfailing habit of prayer. Prayer brought him unmeasured power at the beginning and kept the flow unbroken and undiminished. There was no emergency, no difficulty, no necessity, no temptation that would not yield to prayer.

Every time we see Jesus praying, He was praying with passion.

At His Baptism - while He was praying heaven was opened. 

Luke 3:21‭-‬22 NIV When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Passionate prayer opens Heaven.

In Luke 6 before He called His disciples - He spent the whole night in prayer. 

Luke 6:12‭-‬13 NIV One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

Passionate prayer gives direction.

In Luke 9 at His transfiguration - while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. 

Luke 9:28‭-‬29 NIV About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

Passionate prayer enables us to experience the glory of the Father.

In John 17 in His high priestly prayer Jesus prayed passionately for his disciples and for us 

John 17:6‭-‬9 NIV “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

John 17:20‭-‬21 NIV “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Passionate prayer impacts the lives of others.

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus poured out His heart to God

Matthew 26:39 NIV Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

It is only through passionate prayer that we can pour out our hearts to God.

In Luke 23:34 as He hung on the cross, He prayed 

Luke 23:34 NIV…“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” 

A life that is lived in passionate prayer will enable us to maintain that same kind of spirit, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Jesus always prayed with passion, because He knew Who it was, He was talking to and He knew that prayer to the Father is a powerful thing and not something to take lightly.   

Passionate prayer is prayer from the heart and not from the head.  

Jesus taught us to pray from the heart and not the head

Matthew 6:7‭-‬8 NIV And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

People repeat the Lord’s prayer, and I pray that we are not taking the Lord’s Prayer as we sing or recite it each week, as if it is some kind of magic mantra that will bless us or move God to hear us. If we are doing that then we are doing with the Lord’s Prayer, exactly what Jesus was instructing us not to do with it. The pagans, when they prayed, tried, through their religious repetitions, with their chants repeated over and over, to call forth or impress their Gods. That is not what you do when you are in a relationship.

James 5:16 says, that it is the "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man that can accomplish much.", in other words a passionate prayer can accomplish much.

3. We must be persistent in prayer, we must be passionate in prayer and we must pray with thankfulness

Philippians 4:4‭-‬7 NIV Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 4:4‭-‬5 NIV For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Colossians 3:17 NIV And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Expressing gratitude or thanks does several things:

• It articulates dependence

• It demonstrates relationship

• It generates humility

Let me give you five things that happen when we pray:

1. Prayer internalizes the burden

It deepens the awareness of our partnership with God. As we pray we begin to become aware of how God might use us to answer the prayer, how He might involve us in ways we had not seen before.

2. Prayer forces us to wait

Part of prayer is always waiting for God. God has three answers to prayers: Yes, no and wait. Yes and no are no-brainers. But waiting is tough. 

Pastor John MacArthur says: "There is a tension between boldness and waiting on God's will. That tension is resolved by being persistent, yet accepting God's answer when it finally comes." 

Instead of getting frustrated that God is not on our schedule, prayer forces us to be on God's timetable.

3. Prayer opens our spiritual eyes

It enables us to get in touch with what God is doing and how He is doing it.

There is a story in 2 Kings about Elisha being surrounded by the army of Israel.  Let’s look at 

2 Kings 6:15‭-‬17 NIV When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my Lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Prayer opens our eyes, enabling us to see what God is doing, to see things we are blind to without prayer. That's because prayer is communication. We speak to God, and God answers us, speaking to us, showing us.

4. Prayer aligns our heart with God's heart

In prayer our desires become more like God's desires so that we can align our wills with the will of God.

1 John 5:14‭-‬15 NIV This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

5. And finally prayer enables us to move forward

Prayer engages God, enables God's people, and enlarges His kingdom. 

Look at 

John 15:5‭-‬8 NIV “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Once we have prayed, we are ready to do anything; until we have prayed, we can do nothing, but once we have prayed, we can accomplish anything.

What does your prayer life look like today? Are you persistent in prayer? Are your prayers passionate or are they superficial? Are they filled with intensity and fervor or are they weak, timid and lacking faith? What about gratitude? How much time have you spent thanking God for all He has done for you? Is there a burden on your heart to see God's kingdom expand, to see His will done?

Let's pray.

Almighty Father, teach us to pray. May we long to spend time with you and enjoy communicating with you. Empower us to raise up other prayer warriors who help us reach our neighbors and the nations with the gospel. Thank you for your faithfulness in continually calling us to prayer.  In Jesus' name Amen

Sermon Audio

A Man Passing through the Crowd

Click below for the sermon manuscript of the fourth sermon in the "Going to Jerusalem" series.

On this journey We will be walking with Jesus through those crucial hours surrounding his crucifixion and resurrection. As we go on this spiritual journey, I want us to carefully observe the individuals on the journey with Jesus. When we look carefully, we will see ourselves.

Today, we meet a man who was in Jerusalem during the Passover celebration who was going about his own business and was forced into an encounter with Jesus that changed his life.

NIV “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross ".

Some of our failures and disappointments come as a result of our own selfish sewing, unwise decisions, or hasty judgment. At other times, though, we get caught in the consequences of another’s sin. Simon is an example of someone who gets caught up in the widening circle of influence that individual decisions have on others. The crowd wanted Jesus dead, and Simon got caught up in it just because he was in the vicinity. Simon, who was just passing through the crowd, was suddenly thrust to center stage of this drama of redemption.

This is Palm Sunday, the last Sunday in Lent and the Sunday before Easter. This marks the beginning of Holy Week, historically the most sacred time of year for Christians.

Palm Sunday recalls an event in the Scripture of Jesus entering into Jerusalem and being greeted by the people waving palm branches. For Christians, it is a reminder of the welcoming of Jesus into our hearts and of our willingness to follow him.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem for the Jewish holiday of Passover. Jesus rode a young donkey into Jerusalem and was greeted by a large crowd with palm branches and people shouting,

“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Laying their coats and palm branches on the ground was a symbolic way for the people to treat Jesus as their king. They hoped that Jesus would overthrow the Roman government in Jerusalem.

When a king or conquering ruler entered a city, people would create a carpet by putting their coats and branches on the ground to welcome them. Even today we might use the expression, “rolling out the red carpet” to welcome a celebrity or an important guest.  

Well we know what happened later in the week some of those same people called for Jesus' execution. Then as we also know He was resurrected and we will celebrate that resurrection next week.

Scripture

Mark 15:16‭-‬27‭, ‬29‭-‬32 NIV The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews. They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Introduction 

Often when Jesus performed a miracle, He would say something like this: “Don’t tell anyone. My time has not yet come.”

But ultimately His time did come, the time for Him to go and voluntarily die on the cross. And on the day we celebrate as Palm Sunday, Jesus did something that we might call a real attention-getter: He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

Now, it may seem odd to us that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what we think of as a humble creature. From our perspective, an Arabian stallion would have been more appropriate.

However, the meaning was not lost on the Romans or the Jews. It was a perfect choice. In Roman culture, a hero returning victoriously from war would ride in on a donkey as the crowd laid out palm branches before him. For the Romans, Jesus effectively was declaring Himself a king.

Also, the Jews knew that when the Messiah came, He would be riding on a donkey. Speaking through the prophet Zechariah, God said, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt” (Zechariah 9:9 NLT).

This was something very significant, and the people understood it. Add to this the fact that Jesus was a wanted man. There was a price on his head. The leading priests and Pharisees had said that if anyone knew where Jesus was, they should report it immediately.

Jesus was playing His hand if you will. To the Romans, He declared Himself as a conqueror. And to the Jews He was declaring Himself as the Messiah. Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem as a helpless victim. He arrived as a powerful victor, marching bravely into battle.

Today on Palm Sunday, we continue our series "Going to Jerusalem" and as I have continued to say, when we carefully observe the individuals that we will encounter we will see ourselves.

Last week we looked at Peter, who we all agree was a strong follower of Jesus, we watched and saw him buckle under pressure because he overestimated his strengths and underestimated his weaknesses, and he suffered spiritual defeat.   We know that he was restored but, had he understood that he was vulnerable to sin and temptation, he may not have denied that he knew Jesus. Our protection against the temptation that Saten throws our way through people and material things is the armor of God that is described in Ephesians 6 especially the sword of the Spirit which is God's word.

Ephesians 6:12‭-‬17 NIV For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Today we meet a man that was in Jerusalem during the Passover celebration who was minding his own business and was forced into an encounter with Jesus that changed his life.

Text: 

Mark 15:21 NIV “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross”

Simon, who was just passing through the crowd, was suddenly thrust to center stage of this drama of redemption. 

 We are pretty sure that Simon was a Jew because the the Cyrenian Jews had their own synagogue in Jerusalem.  

Acts 6:9 NIV Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.

Simon’s presence in Jerusalem could indicate his commitment to the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So as a Jew he would have not wanted to become entangled in the ugly proceedings of a crucifixion, something reserved for criminals and slaves. Yet he was “forced” into service by Roman soldiers. Can you imagine the shock and shame that Simon of Cyrene must have experienced?

Did Simon resist? We don't know. Even if he did, his resistance was useless because Roman authorities could exercise this selective service of carrying someone's cross on the spur of the moment

Although Simon may have recoiled in fear and disgust at the demand to carry Jesus’ cross, this experience led to a complete turnaround in his life. 

Matthew 27:32‭-‬33 NIV As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).

Not only did Simon bring relief to the weak and emaciated body of Jesus, his walk to the place of crucifixion took him to the actual Source of real life. 

I. A Cyrenian with character. 

As our text says Simon was coming in from the country, which means that he was very likely an immigrant from North Africa who lived in the farming districts near Jerusalem. Cyrene was noted for its farming so as a farmer, Simon was accustomed to demanding work, and his body probably gave evidence of physical strength and endurance.  Which may be why the soldiers chose him to carry the cross 

The Scriptures say that Simon was “passing by” so he was apparently going about his own business. He didn't appear to be part of the unruly mob moving from Pilate’s palace to Calvary. 

II. He was just an innocent bystander who got caught up in this drama. 

A. The innocent suffer. 

Whatever Simon was doing or on his way to doing was interrupted by circumstances not of his own choosing. He had someone else's burden thrust on him. He was caught in the clutches of circumstance. 

Some of our failures and disappointments come because of our own selfish activities, unwise decisions, or hasty judgment. At other times though we get caught in the consequences of somebody else's actions, somebody else's sin. Simon is an example of someone who gets caught up in the widening circle of influence that individual decisions have on others. The crowd wanted Jesus dead and Simon got caught up in it just because he was in the vicinity minding his own business. 

B. More than conquerors. 

Simon wasn’t involved with Jesus as a follower of His at the time and he wasn’t part of the crucifixion mob.  He was just passing by. Many of us have burdens we didn't choose; they just get put on us.  It may be taking care of a loved one who suddenly becomes ill, or someone who lost everything in a fire or natural disaster, or someone who had a relationship crumble into nothingness and the burden of caring for or encouraging them falls on on in many cases gets laid on us. 

Jesus said, He gives rest to those people who get burdens laid on them that they don't choose.

Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Max Cleland who served as Administrator of Veterans Affairs in the Administration of President Jimmy Carter was injured in Vietnam when a grenade exploded near him, causing the loss of both of his legs and an arm. He testimony was “There is help available from God when we need it most.” He closed many of his speeches and interviews with this prayer that was written by a soldier during the Civil War:

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve, I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health, that I might do greater things, I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches, that I might be happy, I was given poverty, that I might be wise. I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men, I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life, I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for— but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed. 

With Christ we can conquer the circumstances of life 

Romans 8:37‭-‬39 NIV No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

III. Converted at the cross.

Mark identified Simon as “the father of Alexander and Rufus.”  

Mark 15:21 NIV A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

It is quite possible that Rufus is the person Paul mentioned in his letter to the Romans 

Romans 16:13 NIV Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

That would mean that these were men known to the readers of the gospel, and they were evidently active in the fellowship of believers. If this is true, and I think that it is, this is scriptural evidence that Simon was converted and established a Christian home that nurtured two Christian boys who became leaders in the church all as a result of this encounter with Jesus when Simon was just going about minding his own business. 

Did Simon and Jesus talk as the procession made its way to Calvary? How was Simon changed by his encounter with Jesus?  We don't really know but I think that we can safely assume that  he would have seen Jesus willingly give himself in fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy that he as a Jew would have known.

Isaiah 53:5 NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

He would have also heard Jesus pray

Luke 23:34 NIV …. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” …

Conclusion 

I will conclude with this.  I am talking to everyone but especially those of you who have not made the decision to accept God’s gift of salvation and eternal life through Jesus. 

You may be passing by today—just a person in the crowd. Maybe a jeweled cross hangs around your neck. What does that cross mean to you? 

Mark 8:34 NIV Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Have you taken up the cross? The way of the cross leads to forgiveness of sin, abundant life, and the defeat of death.

Why the cross? Why didn’t God simply say, “Look, everyone, I know you have sinned against Me, but I am going to pardon you right now. It’s okay. I forgive all of you!”

God didn’t do that because it doesn’t work with His nature and character. The justice of God requires obedience and sacrifice. He could not accept us into fellowship with Himself unless we paid the penalty—or someone paid it on our behalf.

The cross demonstrates the justice of God. At the cross of Calvary, the love and justice of God met. God had to satisfy His justice. The Scriptures say, “The person who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:20 NLT), “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 NLT), and “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT).

At the cross God was saying, “My righteous requirements must be met. But I love humanity, and there is no way they can do it on their own. So, I must help them.” Therefore, He sent Jesus to bridge the gap.

John 3:16‭-‬18 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave h

is one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

This is why Jesus Christ is the only way to God. People like to say that all roads lead to God. Not true. There is only one path. There is only one way. If all roads lead to God, then why did Jesus go through the anguish, torture, and pain of the cross?  If all roads lead to God, then why did Jesus have to die? 

The primary reason Jesus came to this earth was to die for our sins.

Romans 3:25‭-‬26 NLT For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Are you crushed by life? Jesus can bring deliverance, but you need to want it. He came to free us—if we will go to Him, ask Him to forgive our sin, turn from it, and begin to follow Him.

If you have never done that, then why don’t you do it today?

The same Jesus who walked this earth and experienced the limitations of humanity loves you. The same Jesus who died on the cross, took the sin of the world upon Himself, and rose from the dead wants to forgive your sin.

Jesus Christ came to this earth to buy back that which was forfeited in the Garden of Eden.

The cross wasn’t a mistake. Jesus knew it was coming and spoke of it often. He had to go to the cross because there was no other way to bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. The cross was Jesus’ goal and destination from the beginning.

Now is the time to take God’s lifeline. The Bible tells us, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NLT). Now is the time to find God’s forgiveness and His plan for your life.

Simon of Cyrene, a man passing through the crowd, found this amazing hope in the cross. So can you!

Romans 10:9‭-‬10‭, ‬13 NLT.If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Let us pray.  Lord Jesus, help us to see in the suffering and shortcomings of our lives a share in Your Cross; strengthen and console us in the belief that we bear all things in union with You, who have taken upon Yourself even our guilt.  Empower us to carry the burdens of others and lighten their journey in heavy and painful times.   Lord Jesus, help us walk in your steps.

Amen.

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