The Power and Message of the Cross — Alistair Begg
The cross is rejected by other [religions].
According to the Quran, each one shall reap the fruit of their own [deeds], and therefore there is no place, there is no need for the cross.
Christianity is the worst of all religions because it rests on the allied doctrines of original sin and [vicarious] atonement.
- How does the rejection of the cross by other worldviews help you appreciate the uniqueness of Christ's sacrifice?
- In what ways might you be tempted to downplay the offense of the cross when sharing your faith?
The message of the cross is [foolishness] to those who are perishing.
If he had chosen to respond to the expectations of his listeners, he would have spent the afternoon performing [miracles] and then he would have had a crowd over to his tent later in the evening when they could sit around and discuss philosophy.
The cross is actually not simply a central event of biblical theology but the cross is actually the pivotal event of [human] history.
God's power is seen in [weakness] and his wisdom is revealed in the foolishness of what is preached.
- Why do you think God chose to reveal His power through the weakness of the cross?
- What does it look like for you to trust God's wisdom over the world's expectations in your daily decisions?
The message of the cross establishes the gravity of the human [condition].
It took the death of God's perfect [son] to deal with my sinful life with my alienation and with my brokenness and with my rebellion.
People are prepared to acknowledge something is badly [out].
- How does understanding the gravity of sin change the way you view the cross?
- When you recognize brokenness in the world around you, how can you point people to the diagnosis and solution found in Christ?
There is no intellectual road to [God].
- Why is it essential to preach that we are rebels in need of grace, rather than simply good people in need of a boost?
- Reflect on a time when you realized you couldn't save yourself. How did that lead you to rely fully on Christ?
If you answer that, and if I answer it in the first person, we've immediately gone [wrong], because I, because I believed, because I have faith, because I am this, because I am continuing.
The only proper answer is in the third person, because [he], because
The man on the middle cross said I can [come].
If I don't preach the gospel to myself all day and every day, then I will find myself beginning to trust myself, trust my [experience], which is part of my fallenness as a man.
- How does the story of the thief on the cross encourage you about the simplicity and sufficiency of the gospel?
- In what areas of your life are you tempted to trust in your own works or experience instead of resting fully in what Christ has done?