Austin CFC Zac Poonen conf 2018 - Part 5 - What Christ Actually Suffered On The Cross
Austin CFC Zac Poonen Conference June 9 & 10, 2018 Theme - Jesus Our Forerunner - Part 5 - What Christ Actually Suffered On The Cross
Summary
The central message emphasizes that true Christian life requires dependence on God's Spirit, contrasting this 'Tree of Life' faith with the self-sufficiency symbolized by the 'Tree of Knowledge.' The speaker argues that believers often drift into intellectualism and personal ability rather than relying wholly on Christ. Following Jesus means daily denial of self, enduring opposition, and keeping one's focus entirely on Him.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
God has provided something better under the New CovenantThe great Old Testament saints lived by faith, but God has provided something better for New Covenant believers—an inner life and divine promptings rather than external laws.
The illustration of the vine and the branchesJesus taught that believers are like branches on a vine, completely helpless and dependent on the tree at all times to bear fruit.
Remaining helpless despite years of experienceEven after decades of walking with God and preaching, true spiritual work is impossible without daily, helpless dependence on God instead of intellectual study.
Looking unto Jesus and facing religious oppositionFollowing Jesus wholeheartedly means taking up the cross daily, looking to Him as our forerunner, and expecting opposition from religious systems that have lost touch with God.
Jesus learned obedience through suffering as a manAlthough He is God, Jesus experienced human life and learned obedience through the things He suffered, serving as our forerunner.Hebrews 5:8
A desperate desire to stop sinningTrue spiritual breakthrough requires a desperate, sickness-like urgency to be completely rid of all sin, selfishness, and pride.
The law of finding God through wholehearted searchGod rewards those who diligently seek Him, and He promises that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our heart.Jeremiah 29:13
Serving God as a bride versus as a servantThere is a vast difference between serving God for pay like a servant and being completely devoted to Him like a bride who holds nothing back.
Jesus went to the cross because He loved the FatherWhile Jesus died out of love for us, His primary motivation for going to the cross was to obey the Father and prove that He loved the Father.
The agonizing struggle in GethsemaneIn Gethsemane, Jesus hesitated for the first time because He faced the terrifying prospect of bearing human sin and being separated from His Father.
Experiencing eternal hell on the crossDuring the three hours of darkness on the cross, Jesus was forsaken by God and experienced the equivalent of eternal hell for humanity so our sins could be forgiven.
Being lifted above the pull of sin and gravitySeeing the immense price Jesus paid changes our attitude toward sin completely, lifting our Christian walk onto a heavenly plane where earthly attractions lose their power.
The finished work and the restoration of fellowshipWhen Jesus cried out 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,' it proved the punishment was over, and believers are restored to intimate fellowship with the Father.
