The Crowd and the Cross

Ps Joel Tan, Youth Pastor of Victory Family Centre.

It's awesome to worship Jesus and lift up his name on high and let his presence come. We love Jesus.

I've been on staff in the church for about 3½ years.  And we just finished our youth service and we flew up this morning so if I'm not speaking sense it's because of my lack of sleep.

I heard that you guys just came back from camp. I heard you guys had a great time. I enjoy camps and usually in camp we try to stop the young people from doing stupid things. When a group of young people come together, it's possible stupid things happen.

They say the week after the camp is the best and worst time to preach. Maybe that's why I'm invited to speak today. I believe God is going to bring you to the next level. So how do you make sure that what God does to you at the camp move you to make a difference.

God has called the church to make a difference in our generation. Not just to come back to a building but to make a difference in our work and our school.

Luke 9:23 (NIV)

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Luke 18:18-26 (NIV)

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

18:18-30pp — Mt 19:16-29; Mk 10:17-30

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus made this statement that any who wants to follow him has to take up their cross daily. A few chapters later was the story of a man who was probably in the crowd. He wants to inherit eternal life. He was someone that represented someone that needed to take up his cross.

God wants to use you in your generation and make an impact in your city. But many are called but few are chosen. Are we going to respond like the crowd or the cross?

The crowd and the cross are polar opposites. Everywhere Jesus went the crowd would gather to listen to Jesus teach and watch his miracles. Some of these people in the crowd are the ones who even experienced the healing themselves. The crowd wanted to get in on the experience. To say that they were there to be a part of the experience.

The Crowd is an experience but the Cross is an encounter.

The people that followed Jesus always calls him master. But this man called Jesus good teacher. So he was not someone close to Jesus. The apostles had an encounter with Jesus that made them do miracles. Jesus wanted this man to have an encounter with Jesus. Come and follow me. Jesus was inviting this man out of the crowd to have an encounter with Jesus.

It's interesting how this man responded. We can guess that he saw Jesus had this reputation and he was wondering how he may also have that same reputation. He was just interested in a quick answer from Jesus. And he said I've done that and done that and done that. All is good. But when it comes to the point when Jesus said follow me, give your life to me, he said wait wait wait. He wanted answers to his questions without wanting to be tied down to him. He wants the experience minus the encounter that comes with it.

Encounters that would change the person, the way he talks and acts. Jesus said sell all your possessions and the Bible says he walked away dejected and sad because he was not willing to do that because he was rich. He was willing to do whatever Jesus said until a point where it would cause him something, a sacrifice.

All of us has a line we are not willing to cross. What is the line for you? Where you are willing to do everything until it reaches that line. Sometimes, you are willing to do everything except an area of your life that cannot be touched. Some of us that line is your job. Or a relationship that you have. Or some of us it's our children.

This young man was not able to cross that line. This generation's line is comfort and convenience. I'm talking about the generation that is alive today and not just the young. If it's something that does not make you comfortable you say it's not from God.

The Crowd is convenience but the Cross is commitment.

Selling everything to follow Jesus is something else. To follow the crowd is convenient. You can just be there and then go back your own way. Things you sell is not easy to get back. Jesus was asking him to do something where there's no turning back. A decision he cannot walk away from. Jesus is calling you out of your convenience. You cannot pick up and put down your cross. It's to pick up the cross daily.

Do you serve only when you are free? Or to give only when you have extra. We would inconvenience ourselves to pick up the cross. We have to be all in.

And here's the last thought.

The Crowd can be ambiguous but the Cross demands response.

The man went away sad. This young man's response was to walk away. He said no and walked away. Crowd feels safe in numbers.

I'm in a boys school and when you put all the boys together you have problems. It's a crowd mentality or herd mentality. When one claps in the hall, all clap. That's the way a crowd response because it waves off responsibility. You just go with the crowd which is a crowd mentality.

This man hung onto his stuff and money and walked away. You have to make a decision where you have to walk out from the crowd and respond to the cross. Will you listen to the crowd or the cross? The crowd says do what you want to do, but the cross says do what he wants you to do. The crowd says follow your heart, the cross says follow him.

In a few moments, I'm going to let you response to your cross. We are to pick it up daily whether you are a new Christian or a 50 year old Christian.

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

These disciples managed to do what that young man couldn't. Each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were saved. It shows us the many miraculous signs and wonders. The cross invaded every aspect and area of your life. Whatever that line is, you have to release that line. That we will go all the way in and you will see how God moves in your life. Make what happens at the camp becomes a reality when you have to pick up your cross. Respond to the cross.

Ps Joel leading the people to worship backed by TOP's youth team.

Topians responding to Ps Joel's call at the end of the sermon.