Willing to Suffer Humiliation for Christ - Patrosky Anderson

Welcome to day 2 of our 2026 Easter sermon series where we take a look at the Power of The Cross. In today's message, Patrosky explains what it looks like for us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus while challenging us to be bold in our faith and have a willingness to be humiliated for Christ.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

But the cross reminds us that if one day we are going to join him in his resurrection, then today we must be willing to join him in humiliation. That's just the truth. There will be days in your life where being a Christian will cost you everything.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Hey everyone, welcome to the Brick by Brick Podcast Renovation Church, where faith gets built one truth at a time. In this sermon episode, you'll listen to our most recent Sunday morning message. So whether you're new to faith or have been walking with Jesus for years, there's something here for you. Kick back, hit play, and let's build this thing together.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

So last week we started our Easter series focusing on the cross. Okay, focusing on the cross. That um we know that there are a ton of events leading up to Easter. And in in in years past, and I'm sure years to come, like we will highlight those events, but we felt it important to really just focus in on what we believe to be very pivotal, central, um, not just to um renovation, but I believe central to all things Christianity, no matter the denomination, no matter um how people worship, where people worship, um, when people worship, no matter the way in which they worship, if they worship Jesus Christ, altogether, um, even though we are this colorful uh bunch of different, you name it, right, all these things, we are all together worshiping Jesus Christ. We are the collective of Christians. Amen? And at the center of all Christianity is the cross. The cross is what brings us not just uh small churches, but the capital C church all across the world. It is the cross that brings us all together. Last week we introduced um five truths that we learned, that the cross essentially infuses into Christianity. And if you didn't write those things down, I'm gonna go through them again. Um and and I believe that it is these five things. Are there others? Yes, but I think specifically when you consider the cross, we see through scripture that that the cross highlights these five things. And and I would also say, and I know some people they they don't like it when you draw a line in the sand, but I just and if you're one of those people, I'm just gonna give you a heads up. Today draws a line in the sand. Okay? And so prepare your, prepare that part of you that doesn't like that, prepare that part of you that loves options to know that like this morning you don't leave with many options. The only option you leave with is to say yes, Jesus, which I think is a good option. But some of us want like, anyway. Because I would argue that if you don't pull from scripture, uh, not just pull from scripture, but but base your understanding and part of your theology around Christ, like these five things, then I would argue I don't know that you are fully living out um a biblical version of Christianity. And again, I I get it for some people, this is like I don't like when when people pastors talk like that. But uh I also believe that if you can go to scripture and it says that, then I think you can stand on that. I don't think that's called being dogmatic. I think that's just standing on the word of God. That's just me, right? I'm not I'm not here to argue with anybody about that. The five things are. You see what I did there? I gave you plenty of time to get those pins out. If you want to write these down. Number one, uh it we we know that from scripture that the cross, the cross is the fulfillment of God's plan, right? We we see all the way in in Genesis, there is a plan, right? That God wants to subdue the earth. He wants He wants mankind to join him in this effort, right? And so we see that the cross, right? We journey through Genesis chapter three, and yet we see that the cross is God's plan. And it's a plan that he um has grafted us in to carry out through his strength. The cross is a part of um or a fulfillment rather of God's plan. Number two, um, the cross. The cross through scripture tells us that we must be willing to suffer humiliation for Christ. Okay? Suffer humiliation for Christ. And I want to make sure that you understand that because if I don't put that disclaimer on the end, just know that every time that I say that it's there, it's for Christ. I'm not saying that we are called as Christians. I'm not one of those people who feel like just because you're a Christian, you should be, you should suffer. Why? Why should you suffer if just that doesn't make sense? But for Christ, we must be willing to suffer. Amen? And that's one of the hardest ones. That's why today I say I think that's a line in the sand. Number three, scripture tells us that through the cross, that through the Christ, cross, Jesus paid the price for sin. That's what the cross tells us. That Jesus paid the price for sin. Number four, the cross shows us that we've now transitioned from an old expression of worship. Old expression being a temple and priest model system, and the process of the cross gives us access to God. We see and we'll see in a few weeks that the veil rips, and essentially Christ goes public to say that there's no longer these hoops that we now have to jump through. Everyone, through the power of the cross, has access to God. You have access to God. You don't have to call me, you don't have to email me. I would not put your salvation on me reading one of your emails in the first place. You have to do none of those things because you, there in your prayer closet, wherever you decide to talk to God, you have access to Him. And that is a result of the cross. Amen. And number five, lastly, the scripture tells us that through the process and the power of the cross, we have been made clean. The Bible says we've been made clean, white as snow. And these are scriptural truths that are at the center of everything that we believe. And I believe that they're not just sayings that you can say amen to and go on about your life. I think that those are things that you have got to pray and pray and pray to the Lord that He would plant those things deep down in your minds and in your hearts because they are central to who we are, to what we believe. Right? I would go as far as saying that look, you can come in here and you can worship God with tears running down your face at the altar and you can cry out to God, but how authentic is your worship if you don't believe that through the power of the cross you truly have access to God. You can cry out to God and surrender your heart to Him, but how true and authentic is your worship if you don't believe, if you don't believe that through the power of the cross I am redeemed, I am made new. All things have, old things have passed away and I am now made new. If you come to the altar and you cry out to God and you get up broken and and and just as in sin, not believing that there is a way out from the power of the cross, then what were you doing? And we ought to be careful as Christians that we don't reduce the things that we do into these powerless, meaningless gestures. Amen. Because the power of the cross ought to inform the way that we not only view God, but the way that we view ourselves. Paul says to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 3, he says, but mark this. He says, There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves. Lovers of money, boastful pride. He got that one wrong, didn't he? I'm joking. Abusive, disobedient to their parents. Really got that one wrong. Parents, am I right? He says the day is coming that they'll be ungrateful, holy, they'll be without love, unforgiving, slanderous. He says they'll be without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, they'll be treacherous, they'll be they'll be rash, they'll be conceited, all of these things, right? Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, right? Denying its power, having nothing, he says, have nothing to do with such people. In other words, Paul is telling us, he's warning him that look, a day is coming, right, where people will be lovers of themselves. They'll be lovers of money and of power and of abusive behavior and abusive relationships, right? They will do all of these things without love, and he says, and and they will be blinded to the fact that all that they can see is themselves, and they will be too caught up in doing the Christian things. You say, Well, wait a minute, Pastor, what do you mean doing the Christian things? He's not talking about Christians. Well, what are you talking about? Read verse 5. Having a form of what? Godliness. Who in the world do you know is trying to pretend to have a form of godliness? But Christians. Come on. We got to be honest this morning, right? He's telling us that there's gonna be a day where there's gonna be there's gonna be people who are gonna not be able to see God because they all they can see is themselves. There's gonna be people who who are not gonna see God for who God is, that they're not gonna be able to take in the full power of who God is and what God represents and what he desired to do, because they're gonna be too busy doing all of these other things. Meanwhile, they're gonna be also doing the Christian stuff, having a form of godliness, but completely denying its power. All the while. Why? Because they have refused to allow the one and only true God to not only live inside of them, but to work through them, and therefore the things that they do, it's meaningless. That's why I say you can come to the altar, you can do all of these things, but if you don't accept that the cross has power, then what are we doing? If we have not surrendered ourselves to the Lord, then what are we doing? I would argue that the most heartfelt thing you can do in understanding the Lord is to truly submit to God. Last week we looked at that first truth that God is the that the cross is the fulfillment of God's plan, and that we continue to carry that out with God's strength, right? And how all men, all of the men in in Hebrews chapter 11, all of the men and the women who were highlighted there, how they were the epitome of faith in action. If you've never read Hebrews chapter 11, go back and read Hebrews chapter 11, it'll put a fire in you, I believe. It does for me, right? How many of them were beaten and imprisoned, right? Others of them they were killed for their faith. And it says, the author says that they endured so, so much, all to keep with the faith that was implanted inside of them. And yet none of them, none of them received the very promise that they were holding on to. It says that they saw it from afar. And it also says that the world was not worthy of them. And in Hebrews chapter 11, 39 and 40, it says this. It says, They were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what they had been promised. But why? Since God had planned something better for us, right? The people that he's talking to, God planned something better for us so that together, so that together with us they would be made perfect. This is so, so powerful, worth repeating, right? He says it's important for us to understand that these people they labored, they labored, they strived, they endured for the promise that one day a Messiah would come, and that Messiah would make all crooked roads straight. One day this Messiah would come and he would redeem all things. And they held out and they hoped for that, they endured for that, but God, in his own perfect timing, saw fit to bring about the cross. And so while they labored, while some of them took their last breath, not seeing that promise, God knew that one day, John 3.16, for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have every or would have eternal life. You see, that's God's plan. And though these people endured so much, it was God's timing that he would save you and I. Amen. That's God's plan, and we are a part of God's plan. And so now every time we share the faith, every time we love our neighbor, every time we express to someone that the gospel is real, and gospel is the only thing that can save you, every time we do that, we ensure that those men and women who came before us did not die in vain. And so, together with them, them with us, they are made perfect. That ought to do something to you. That your life has meaning, that your life has purpose. Amen. Come on, that that ought to excite you, that that I should not stay silent. Somebody died for this. You see, we often we go back to to the military, and and I thank God for those of you who served. But oftentimes that's as far back as we go, right? There's nothing wrong with that, but can I tell you that we have spiritual ancestors that go far back beyond that, who laid down their life that you might be able to speak the very truth that's inside of you freely, why would you ever stay silent? The power of the cross tells us that, that was God's plan. That though he loved those men and women, he held off for you and I. And now together we are part of God's plan and they are made perfect. You have to know that. The second pillar that we're gonna look at today that we believe is that to follow Christ, you must be willing to suffer humiliation. This message. Which means that we can't read Hebrews, we can't read Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1 and 3. We can't read that apart from Philippians chapter 3, verse 10 through 11. I say this all the time, but we can't cherry-pick scriptures. We have to we have to breathe it all in, we have to take it all in. Hebrews chapter 12. And if you have your Bibles, I want you to go there. It's gonna be up on the screen, but I but but since we're gonna we're coming to a line in the sand, like I want you to read it in whatever in whatever Bible your grandma gave you, or whatever translation you think is the holiest, whatever it is, I want you to see this for yourself. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1, says this. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us. And the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance this race that has been marked out before us. I said this last week that many of us want to run the race that we want to run. You're running the race that Jesus was that was marked out for you. Oh, I want to run my race. Nobody cares what race you want to run. And we don't like that, but that's the truth. I want to run the race of I don't care, right? Like you run the race that Christ that was marked out for us, fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the pioneer and and and the perfecter of our faith for the joy it says, for the joy set before him. He endured the cross. And the author says, consider him. Consider him when you're running this race that maybe you didn't sign up for, when you're running this race that you thought, oh, I'd be much better if, you know, my personality isn't one that I like to speak out. I think God could better use me. Hey, that's not your place. Your heart's beating fast, God is calling you to speak, your place is to speak. You run the race that God has marked out for you. And when you grow weary of doing those things, the author says, consider him who endured such opposition from sinners. That you would not grow weary and lose heart. God, I'm speaking, but nobody's answering. God, I'm doing this. I'm trying to be salt and light to my coworkers, but they're not responding. I feel like I'm sharing with my family, and all they're doing is pushing me farther and farther away. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners that you would not grow weary and lose heart. Consider Christ, who suffered everything. As you realize you are a part of this plan. And so don't shrink back in doing God's plan in your life. Consider Christ. Amen. Paul says this in Philippians chapter 3, verse 10 and 11. He says this. He says, I want to know Christ. I want to know the power of his resurrection. Amen. Don't we want that? I do. The power of his resurrection and the participation in his suffering. It says becoming like him in his death, and so somewhat obtaining, or and and so somehow obtaining to the resurrection from the dead. Paul is saying this, right? Let's kind of demystify that. Paul is saying that us as believers in Christ, as followers of Christ, we place our hope in Jesus that we would one day what rise from the dead. Do we not? That we would we would enjoy Christ in the power of his resurrection. Don't we all want that? It's okay to say you want that. You know, I do. Like we want to experience, we want to say like there is a power. There's a power that God holds over death, hell, in the grave, and he's extended that to us. There's no shame in admitting that. Heck, some of y'all, if you were honest, you'd be like, that's the whole reason I'm doing this. I'm trying to live forever. Right? You're like, that's why I deny my flesh day in and day out. Because practically speaking, this life is a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. And Paul's just saying the thing out loud. Look, I want to, I want to join him. I want to I want to partake in the power of his resurrection. He says, but I also want to participate in his suffering, becoming like him in death. And so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Some of your translations might say that by any means possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Paul is saying, I not only want to join him in his resurrection, but I also want to join him in his suffering. If joining him in his suffering also means that I might obtain the resurrection from the dead. If I'm gonna get to experience the power of his resurrection, God, I don't invite it onto my life, but I must be willing to endure also the persecution and the suffering. Amen. To follow Christ, I must be willing to suffer humiliation. And you might think, oh, but Pastor, that was Paul. Paul was a wild man. Of course he thought that way. He was blinded by Jesus, had a conversation on the road with Jesus, right? If I had a conversation with Jesus, of course I would I would be willing. Turn your Bibles to Luke chapter 9. See, because Luke chapter 9 says something different. Luke chapter 9 says that it's not just Paul, but yet it's all of us. And in Luke chapter 9, just for context, one of the first things we see there is Christ sends out the 12. Christ sends out the 12, they come back reporting all of the healings and all of the miracles and all of the things that's happened. If you were one of the 12 and you went out and you did all these things, you probably would have came back just like I'm sure they came back, excited, hyped up. Oh my gosh, I did this. Why you did all of this? All of these things, right? They're excited. From there, Jesus wants to retreat with them. The people follow. Jesus feels bad for them. He decides to feed them. Turns out there's 5,000 plus of them. The disciples are like, nah, we ain't got that kind of money, Jesus. So send them away. Jesus is like, no, we're gonna do this. And so another miracle, he heals the 5,000. From there, he retreats to pray, and then he's asking the people, or he's asking his disciples, man, who do these people who like, like tell me with the word on the street. Like, what are people telling? What are people saying? Who are people saying that I am? And some people are saying, oh, Jesus, like you're you're the Messiah who's been brought back to life. Some are saying that you're John the Baptist, some are saying you're this person, some are saying you're that person, and Jesus says, Okay, okay, okay, all of those things, okay. But but the people who know me the best, who do you guys say that I am? And Peter says, Oh, Jesus, you are the Messiah. And from there, all the way down in verse 22, he says this, and he says, The Son of Man must suffer many things. This is after he sent out the 12 and he empowered them to heal the sick. This is after he feeds the 5,000. This is after those people who he's talking to, they truly, truly believe, you're reading it for yourself, they truly believe that he is God, and God looks them in the face and he says, the very Messiah, he says, You're right. And he says, Look, the Son of Man is gonna have to suffer many things. He's gonna be rejected by the elders and the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and he must be killed on the on the third day, he will be raised to life. And then in verse 23, don't miss this. Then he says to them all, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life, they must lose it. But whoever does this, uh, who loses their life for me will be saved. What? Lord, I thought we were in the business of healing people. What's all this dying on the cross talk? What's all of this losing your life talk? And now you're trying to include me in this? Am I the only one who would have thought that? Like, why are we talking about you just I just watched you feed 5,000 plus people? Who in their right mind, Lord? Could oppose you, Jesus. You sent me out. I killed a little girl who was who was dying. I the lepers, they who who would dare oppose this? I thought we were in the business of seeing broken people be made whole again. Some of you might be thinking, God, I thought we were in the business of seeing my own life be restored, seeing my own sons and daughters come to know you. That I spent all of my time praying for my family, praying for my healing, praying for this, praying for that. I thought we were in the business of those things. I thought that one day at the end of this race, I would get to spend eternity with you, where you would wipe every tear from every eye, and there would be no sorrow, God. I thought you were in the business of that. Yes, he is. All of those things are true, but church, can I remind you that you got to take it all in. And God doesn't promise us that Christianity is gonna be filled with sugar-coated gum drops that fall from the from the heavens. I know that's what your youth pastor told you when you got saved. No. I know that's what them songs in children's ministry told you, but like this is big church now. And the truth is, some of you know that it's true. Because some of you have lost loved ones. Some of you have have are dealing with pain and sorrow and sickness. Some of you know that it's true, and you wrestle with it every day that I thought, God, that we were in the business of doing this, but the cross reminds us that if one day we are going to join him in his resurrection, then today we must be willing to join him in humiliation. That's just the truth. There will be days in your life where being a Christian will cost you everything. Understand that. It'll cost you something. And those are not the days in which God does not see you, no, those are the days that you are living out your Christianity. Does that make sense? Those are the days in which you, those are the days in which the world, come on, is not worthy of you. Because when everybody is going this way, and I am so tempted, and life would be so much easier to go this way, but I know that I know that I know that God has told me to go this way. For every speed bump, every bump, every hit, every sh all of those things, that is not God forgetting about you, that is you living out your Christianity. And in those days, can I just tell you, those are the days that the world is not worthy of you. Because if we are to join Christ in his resurrection, then we must also join him in his suffering. Amen? And I know that some people we don't like to hear that, but don't take my word for it. Read scripture for yourself, and you'll see that that not every day, not every day, I pray that by the grace of God, not every day is a struggle. But if there are days where you do struggle, just know that that's a part of the process. Because if it wasn't a part of the process, why would why else would would Paul say that, look, I not only want to join Christ in his resurrection, but I also want to join him in his suffering? Right? Why would God, why would Jesus not look at them and say, look, a day is coming, and I want you to be aware of this. Know fully what you've signed on for to follow me. Where does the rubber meet the road in our lives with this? It's okay to feel some humiliation. Church, as a Christian, it is okay to experience some humiliation for the cross. Okay. Like, do you believe that? Do you believe that? Or do we not use everything that's in our disposal to try to navigate and twist the culture and twist the things in which we have influence on, to twist those things, to make it to where we don't experience humiliation, to where we don't experience hardship, when nothing in the Bible says that that's what it should be. In fact, everything in the Bible says that if we're gonna join him in the power of his resurrection, then we must be willing to join him in the humiliation and the suffering. And that's what the cross reminds us that there will be days where for your faith it will be hard. For your faith, there will be humiliation. For your faith, you will have to walk through things that you don't want to walk through. And everything within your humanity will want to be able to twist the things and enact certain things so that you don't have to walk through that. But can I just tell you you cannot leap from those things and still expect to join him in the power of his resurrection? Because sometimes I wonder when he says, I never knew you. Sometimes I wonder if what he's really saying is, no, no, no, when we were out there grinding, I didn't see you. You ever think about that? Go back and read that. He's saying, like, look, some of y'all look, you didn't go feed the poor, you didn't do this, you didn't do this. When we were out here doing these things, where were you? You ever thought about that? Why would God be like, I never knew you? I think it's worth searching our hearts. And ask the Lord, do we run from hard things? Do we run from the things that we believe cause us humiliation? Lastly, turn your Bibles to John chapter 19. Because the cross reminds us that 2,000 some years ago, our Lord and Savior suffered humiliation. In John chapter 19, 1 and 3, 1 through 3, it says that. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thords and they put him or they put it on his head. It says that they clothed him in purple. They clothed him in royalty, not because they were what, calling him royal? No, not at all. In verse 3, and it says that they went up again and again, saying, Hail King of the Jews, and they slapped him in the face. And this went on and on. And our Lord and Savior endured humiliation for the joy set before him. The cross reminds us that it is okay in the name of Jesus, for the sake of Christ, to experience humiliation. And that we ought not see those times as our opportunity to twist and bend and force situations to keep us as believers from having to go through hard times and experience struggles in the name of Jesus, the cross reminds us that Jesus Himself suffered, and it's okay for us to suffer for the cross. Give your life to Christ, worship him wholeheartedly, and yet you're not willing to be humiliated for his name's sake. Is that real authentic worship? That's the line in the sand. I encourage you to go back in your prayer closet, search your heart, and ask God where you are seeking to turn and twist, or you're supporting things that are turning and twisting the word of God so that we as believers might not experience humiliation. I think in those areas where we do that, we need to repent. And we need to be willing to take the hits for Christ. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

Thanks for tuning in to the Brick by Brick Podcast. We're so glad you've joined us on our journey to build faith one truth at a time. Be sure to follow us so you never miss another episode. We've got plenty more coming your way.