Elevation with Steven Furtick - Complete The Cross

Episode Date: April 4, 2025

The greatest pain and greatest pleasure of your life will be experienced in the context of relationship. So, what’s the secret to successful ones? Discover how the cross makes it possible for us to not only have a loving relationship with God, but for us to also have thriving relationships with others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life.

Enjoy the message. We are in the middle of something, and that's where God is. That really blesses me to know that. Because waiting for the finished product, until I can have joy, have peace, trust God, be happy. That doesn't sound very promising to me. But if God is at ever-present help in trouble, in times of trouble, that's one thing the Bible says about God. If he'll walk up to me in the middle of a storm, if he'll be with me in the middle of the fire,

if he'll split the sea so I can walk through it and drown my enemies behind me, I can keep moving forward with the faith that God has my back in every situation. So I think the idea of process has really been challenging us and celebrating our progress rather than awaiting our perfection. It's revolutionizing, like me and Autumn talk every week. She's been in our church 11 years, and she's like, I never have seen Jesus in the way that I've been seeing him in this series. And she grew up, she's such a church girl, y'all. I mean, seriously, she's got Leviticus memorized in Hebrew.

And she's like, it's just opening my eyes. And that's the revelation factor. Today I want to talk about revelation in the context of relationship. Please write this down. The greatest pain and pleasure that you will experience in your life will be in the context of relationship. I did you kind of dirty. I didn't give you a chance to get your pin out or your thumbs warmed up.

So I'm going to try to say it again. The greatest pain and greatest pleasure in your life will be. be experienced in the context of relationship. So one of the words that Jesus spoke from the cross is commonly called the word of relationship. We're going to deal with that today. But I've been using a flashback technique. I try to be creative in the way I present the word. I don't know if it makes sense to everybody else, but just ways that make it exciting for me because I figure out of like my own sermons. If nobody else does, I'll subscribe to the podcast. But I've been looking at it.

at Luke 24, these two people, one is called, we call him Cleopis. His full name is Cleopus. He has an unnamed traveling companion. They're going the wrong way to a no-name village called Amas. I mean, it has a name, but you can't find it. If you go to the Holy Land today, they'll say, we think this is where Amos was, but they don't even really know where it was. It wasn't some metropolitan major area where commerce happened. It was where they lived. And they were going back from the scene of the cross where they had watched their hope extinguished, and they had watched the one that they thought might be the one die, and they were burying their dreams along the road when the one whose death they were mourning walked up right beside them, and they didn't know it.

And so they're like walking back the wrong way, and there's this whole thing about why would Jesus follow people who are headed in the wrong direction? Why would he leave the 99 righteous to find the one? Why would he come for the sick and not stay with the well? And I think that's one. thing that we misconstrue about God's presence in our lives is that he's going to be with us as long as we're doing what he told us to do and going where he told us to go. And yet we're surprised by the grace of God just like busting up in the middle of our conversations and our hopeless situations and chasing us down to the wrong destination so he can turn us around. And when they got where they thought they were going, they saw who Jesus really was.

And I think they saw it in his scars when he broke the bread, which is an everyday event. You eat every day. And God is often found in the common parts of our life. I'm teaching already if you didn't know. This is not a review. So seeing where he had been wounded and now seeing his scars, which were the greatest demonstration of his strength, that proved his resurrection. They had their eyes open, and he was revealed and recognized by them in that moment. One thing I didn't point out that I think is very important, and I'm going to read the text,

and I'm going to emphasize certain words and see if you can find the theme. The Bible says in verse 32 that after they recognize Jesus, you know, you have these moments where you're like, oh yeah, that was God. Oh, yeah, that was God that had him break up with me. He was broke. God was looking out for me. But sometimes you don't see it on the road. You only realize it in reverse.

You see their picture 10 years later, and you're like, oh, thank you. Mother Mary. Now, so they're like, oh, that was him. That was the one we were crying over, but he's not dead. He's risen. And look at this. I'm going to emphasize certain works. Verse 32.

They asked each other were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us. Are you noticing anything? Okay, one more verse. Make sure you get it. They got up and returned it once to Jerusalem. They found the 11 and those with them assembled together. Their revelation of Jesus was completed, not in the context of their conversation with him,

but in the context of their conversation with each other. This message is called Complete the Cross. And it is meant to confront some of the things that we say in church that sound spiritual, but really make no sense in real life. Things like, you know, all I need is Jesus. As long as I've got Jesus, I don't need anybody else. And I understand the spirit of that, that he is the most important and seek, He first, the kingdom of God, his righteousness, all these things be added unto you and my mother and

Father for saving me, then the Lord would take me up. I know those Bible verses too. But even Jesus needed a team. And it is significant, I think, maybe you don't think so, that he revealed himself to two people and they talked with each other. And it was in talking with each other that they figured out who he was. Because for all of us who think all we need is God and all we need is Jesus, the last time I checked, the cross had two beams.

This one, the main one. Got to get that right. But it's not a cross until it does like this. And sometimes the reason we like to say things like, all I need is Jesus and all I need is God is because as long as we keep the context of our relationship limited to an invisible God, we don't have to deal with people. And we can kind of manipulate our image of God into somebody who is comfortable for us to relate to.

And then you'll start saying things like, well, nobody else gets me, but God does. And so you're all this, all this. And that's awesome, and I love it. But I want to talk a little bit about this, the relationship that is a little bit harder. So to do it, I want to remember what happened on the cross. And I wonder when Cleopheus and his unnamed companion are walking. back because the Bible says they got up, they turned around, they thought it was the end, it was really the beginning, they had watched Jesus die on the cross, watching him die, they thought

this is it, but heaven is watching and saying, no, when he said it is finished, that was just the beginning. Come on, I need somebody who travels six hours or more to know that where you are right now is not the end of what shall be. in your life. I feel like preaching to somebody who's got your head hung down. You've been in Amos long enough. Come on, you got a round trip ticket. And they turned around and they went back. And the Bible says that the road they walked was seven miles. So we've been using each of the seven miles to represent a different word that Jesus spoke from the cross. And there were seven of them, the word of forgiveness. Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. Or the

of salvation, today you will be with me in paradise. And I wonder where they have a flashback of what happened on the cross. And that's not a bad thing to do, by the way, to have a flashback every now and then to strengthen your faith, to remember what really happened on that cross. I mean, what really happened? Beyond the crown of thorns that marked his brow, beyond the sign that Pilate put above him in three different languages that said King of the Jews, the title that he used to mock him, which was actually announcing him, because sometimes the insults that people will say about

you are the greatest compliment they can give you. I mean, beyond that, what really happened on the cross, what happened down in my soul, when my shackles fell off, when my shame was nailed to those beams. And the chastisement that brought my peace was upon him. On the cross. Somebody say on the cross. On the cross, that's where my sin is. On the cross, that's where my mistakes are.

On the cross, that's where my second-guessings and second givings. That's where all of my regrets are redeemed. On the cross, that's where I hung all my fears and all my doubts and all my failures happen. On the cross. And I wonder, did they reflect on the road on what happened on the cross? And I wonder now in the light of his resurrection, did they reflect on his death differently? To know that what had caused them to hang their heads and walk away was actually the greatest proof of his love.

When I need to know that God loves me, I don't look at what's happening in my life. I flash back to what happened on the cross. That's where it was settled. That's where it was nailed down. forever. He's always good. And he does good. And he showed it to me on the cross. On the cross. That's where that thing that the devil is tormenting you with that's down deeper than anybody else can see. That's where it should be hanging. It shouldn't be hanging around in your heart and in your soul. It should be on that cross. I feel kind of old-timey today. I don't feel very

modern today. I feel like going and put my eyes on the middleman, the one who hung there because he loved me, the one who could have dispatched 12 legions of angels, but hung there on that cross for me. It was his love that held him there on the cross. So that's the first picture. I wonder, did they remember what happened on the cross? Because they were actually at the cross, maybe not actually in the general vicinity, but they were at the cross. And, you know, I've heard sermons, seen movies about what happened on the cross, and sometimes it makes you feel kind of sentimental. Sometimes it makes you feel kind of sick. What happened on the cross went far beyond what a film camera can present in 24. What happened on the cross is the release of the

freedom that God wants to produce in my life, but I think there's something to be seen, not just what happened on the cross, but who was at the cross? I mean, we know who was on the cross between two thieves. But at the cross. Now, to get a clear picture of this, you kind of have to do a little bit of study, and don't worry, I already did it for you, so I'm going to tell you. You don't have to look anything up. I looked it all up this week while you were doing your real job. It was interesting because I was putting together what Matthew said and what Mark said and what Luke said and what John said.

And so Matthew, who is one of the disciples, they're all telling the same story but from a different perspective and they're describing the cross. And when it came to exactly what happened at the cross, Matthew didn't have a lot to say because he wasn't there. He was there for the fish and the loaves so he can tell you about that. He was there for that waterwalking thing where Peter got out of the boat because he's kind of crazy and didn't content to just sit in the boat. He has to do something special and spectacular. He was there when Peter almost drowned himself and Jesus gave him CPR.

But when it came to the... Isn't it funny how the cross will thin out a crowd? Because it was really loud on Sunday when Jesus came into Jerusalem. I mean, definitely. They were crying out. Something they were saying, Hosanna. It means save now. And that's what they wanted him to do, to save now.

But when he died, it deferred their hope. And so as he hung there at the cross, the crowds that were there to be fed and taught by his hand were kind of quiet at the cross. Kind of quiet where he died. Kind of quiet where he suffered. It was real loud when he was teaching. Preach Jesus! Can you imagine Jesus' front row? Blessed are the poor in spirit?

Preach Jesus! I mean, if the word was preaching the word, that would be kind of cool to witness. It would probably be exciting. I'm just saying, you probably shout, you probably jump up. But when he came to his cross, the crowd wasn't so loud. Oh, by the way, something that Peter proves to us. proves to us is that those who are the loudest are not always the most loyal. Because when it comes to the cross, Matthew tells us something so disturbing.

I imagine it must have hurt him to write this, you know, because Jesus had done so much for them, and they really believed in him, and I think they really wanted to follow him, but they could only go so far, and then he came to the cross. And the cross is confusing, because it's not supposed to end like this. And the cross is confusing because if he really is who he says he is, how can he be hung up there to die in this kind of humiliation? And so Matthew says that at the cross, everybody deserted him, all 12. Because remember, he had a team, a really big team. A really big team.

Touch somebody say a really big team until it came to the cross. And then sometimes circumstances in your life will show you who was really with you because they loved you and who was really with you because there was something that they got from you in the moment they don't get from you what they wanted from you. Now that's really painful.

That's a hard thing. Some people will be with you. What's the saying? They'll ride with you in the limo, but they won't take the bus when the limo breaks down. I don't know who said that. I think that's from the book of Oprah. But Matthew says, it's a good one. But Matthew says they all left him.

Now, here's what's interesting. There's one disciple. His name is John. And I love John because he gave himself a nickname. There's a lot to love about John. Because at the Last Supper, when Jesus is telling the disciples, you're all going to leave. Peter's like, not me. And John isn't saying much, but John, he saw himself a little differently.

Here's what he called himself, okay? How many of you have a nickname that your friends call you and stuff? How many of you gave yourself a nickname? Okay, John is so confident. He gave himself a nickname. And let me tell you what he calls himself when he writes about himself in the gospel according to John. He calls himself, how's this for a nickname?

The one Jesus loved. So not, hey, I'm John. Hey, I'm his favorite. I love John. It's a certain kind of confidence that he has that he doesn't need to say much with his lips to prove his loyalty. He's just there. And so when John writes his gospel, he's like, hey, wait a minute, Matthew. We didn't all run.

And he describes for a moment who was at the cross. And it's not who you would expect because you're looking for Peter at the cross. But Peter isn't at the cross. He couldn't get past the courtyard the moment it became scandalous to stand with Jesus and Jesus didn't do it like he thought it ought to be done Peter started cussing people out Andrew at the cross because Andrew was Peter's brother. He's the one who came and got Peter and said, hey, you got to meet this man. He's amazing and he was amazing until it came to the cross and then Andrew was absent. And so on the day that Jesus did what he came to do to begin with, and he was amazing, and he was amazing, and so on the day that Jesus did what he came to do to begin with,

He's calling the role and no one is present. That's a bad day for the teacher when the whole class is gone. And the loneliness of hanging there all alone. No Bartholomew. No Nathaniel. Because when I read it, John tells us who was at the cross. Everybody say, at the cross? There's soldiers gambling for his garments at the foot of the cross.

Everybody grabbing what they can from him just like they did while he. was living, just grabbing what they wanted from him. Just like sometimes we come to church, just grab what we want from God, just grab a goose bump, just grab a word. Oh, I came to get a word. But when it came time to, it was kind of quiet. Nathaniel, Diamond the Zealant, you're son of thunder. Don't you appreciate the people who are just there?

Like watch us, it's not who you expect. It's not even the loud ones. He was at the cross. Look, John tells us because he was there. Matthew can't quite tell us because he wasn't. Again, he can tell you how delicious the bread was. He can tell you how delicious the fish tasted. But John tells us who was at the cross.

I'm going to give you something right now. God gave me something to give to you. You're about to be set free from some things that you didn't even know had locked you inside of yourself. You are about to get something from God that is going to release you to love like you haven't been able to love and enjoy the life. He died to give you. So John says that near the cross of Jesus, remember, he's on the cross.

And now let's see who's at the cross. First of all, his mother. The one who carried him now had to watch him carry her cross that she deserved, that he did not. And I think there's a whole message. Maybe I'll preach Mother's Day on this verse one time, because it'd be a great Mother's Day scripture. What kind of strength does it take for a mom to stand there and watch her son die? Completely unable to do anything about it just standing there. It says that near the cross of Jesus stood his mother.

It does not record one word that she spoke, but she stood with him. She stood with him. Sometimes the greatest testimony of your loyalty is not what you will say to someone, but how you will stand with them. Because we've all got a cross. We've all got seasons that we will go into that will divide those who are loud from those who are really loyal. And who I see at the cross is and who I expect to see at the cross. Here's Mary, the mother of Jesus.

There's her sister. There's Mary, the wife of Clopas. And there's Mary Magdalene. She had a rough life Jesus really helped her He cast some demons out of her That nobody else had been able to deal with And that created a kind of loyalty within her

That she was like Even if all I can do is stand here and cry I'm not leaving I wonder could you get there with God That even if all I can do Is stand here And wait to see what will become You can't run me off

You've been too good to me and done too much for me. I'm not going anywhere. You have the words of eternal life. I'm staying near the cross. And when Jesus saw his mother there, John tells us, and the disciple whom he loved, John says, that's me. Standing nearby, he said to her, woman, here is your son.

And then watch this. He looked at the disciple whom he loved. loved, the self-proclaimed favorite, and gave him a job. Here is your mother. Let's skip the fact that none of us in the room would be able to put aside our own selfishness enough if we were suffering like that to think about anyone else. Because you know when you're going through something, you don't ask anybody how their day is.

And if you do, you really don't want to know and you hope they don't answer you. All you can really handle is fine. I'm telling you, when you're going through something and you really don't even, you really to watch for this because I went through something a couple years ago with my dad, and somebody gave me good advice. They said, don't tell a lot of people what you're going through. Find a few people you can tell what you're going through. Most people are going to ask you, they really don't care. That would have been worth your trip to church today just to know that they really don't mean, tell me all about it. They really don't. They see you coming. They dodge you because your

knees have been hurting six months and it's all you talk about. Your sore back. It's all you talk about how hard it's been with your kids. Most people don't want to know all that, because they've got their own stuff. They've got their own things they're dealing with. And to me, the presence of mind of Jesus, and I want to be more like this, because I'm really not here yet, nor am I in the vicinity of this kind of Christ-likeness, but that he was able to look to the needs of others while he died for them, not after he got up, while he's bleeding for them. While he's bleeding for their sins. He says, hey, look out for her and you look out for him. And he's doing in his death what he did in his life, bringing them together as he dies. Hey, John, I need you to do something

for me. Look out for her. And he's your son now. That's crazy. Isn't that crazy? Because I would have been up there. I would not have even seen John standing at the cross. because I would have been so mad at Peter. I would have been so mad at Andrew and the thing. And don't even get me started on Judas. Oh, my God, I would not have seen John because I would have been making up my plan for how I was going to get back at Judas.

Sometimes we don't see those who are with us because we can only think of those who left us. But I wanted to clear over your life today, God will always leave a John at your cross. You got who you need. You got what you need. If they left you... Who was that for?

Be honest about it. You have been so upset about the encouragement that you're not getting from somebody. You are tripping over the encouragement of 16 other people because you're mad at Bob. Well, what about Bob? If Bob left the cross, reach out to John. There's a...

John at your cross. There's something happening in your heart right now. That just set you free. You don't have to worry about who left. If they left, they're gone. If John is at the cross. Besides, why would Jesus be mad at Judas? He needed John to be there at the cross, but he needed Judas to get him to the cross.

This is a hard one. A hard one. You might have to realize that some of the people that you hate the most actually helped you get to the place where you needed to be to do what God called you to do. Do you believe that? Can you receive this? This is a hard say. What if Jesus would say and people would just walk away.

But Jesus wasn't cursing Judas. It took Judas. It took a broken heart. It took a betrayal. Some are teaching you to love the people who are. Still there. It took that. It doesn't justify what they did.

But maybe I'm going to get mature enough one day where I can be like Jesus. And I won't miss John cursing Judas. Yes, it is. I'm going to say this about six different ways before I close to make sure you get it. Because that's my message is that it takes two. It takes two. It takes two. I want to rock right now.

Touch somebody say, I'm not internationally known. When you got it like this, come on, somebody say, I got it like that. Jesus so knew who he was and he had so received the affirmation that could only be given in the baptism at the Jordan. This is my son. And I am pleased with him. That no matter who wasn't there, he was so convinced about who was that he could look at John. and look at Mary and give like that. And when you really get it like this,

I mean, when you wake up in the morning and know that God has blessed you to see another day, you will not be needy anymore. You're too needy, and you're too blessed to be this needy. I'm just telling you what God told me, you think it's hard for you to hear. I had to hear it all week.

God kept me up all week getting this message ready for you. And he said, I need for your validation not to be in somebody else's mouth. I need your validation to be in that cross. I need you to be complete in that cross so that if you don't get it from your mom, if you don't get it from your daughter, listen, sometimes people are giving you all they can give you. They can't give you anymore. And if you don't get it like this, you will never get it like that. You need to set some people free today from not giving you.

keys to your freedom that they don't hold. You have got to release some people from the expectation of perfection. They can't be everything to you. Even John couldn't get him down. All he could do was stand there. So I don't want to look to people to do for me what only God can. I don't want to be grabbing for garments at the foot of the cross. If I got it like this, I can give it like that.

Whoever this is for you've been trying to get affection from the wrong direction. You've been reaching for validation in all the wrong places. You're not going to get it like this. That's where you give. That's where Paul said, if there's any comfort from being united with Christ, what he's drawing across. He's saying to this Philippian church. You can look at it up. Philippians 1 in Chapter 2 verse 1 and 2, something like that.

It's in Philippians somewhere. Google it. It says, you got it? Oh, if there's any encouragement from being united with Christ, somebody say, I got it like that. Okay, that's the part we're good at in church. He forgave me, he saved me, he loves me, he accepts me. But Paul says, if you got it like that, any comfort from his love, how many are comforted by the love of Christ in your heart today?

If you got it like that, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind, I love this next instruction, then make my joy complete. If you got it like that, give it like this. So I want to wake up this week and I want to see all of my shame, my need on that cross. I want to receive all of my validation at that cross. I want to carry whatever cross God has given me and not resent the people who didn't give me what I thought I needed because I am complete in that cross. I don't need you to tell me that I'm loved.

Maybe it's time for me to tell you that you're loved. Maybe I've lived my life doing this long enough. Maybe it's time to live like he died. There's John. On the cross, there's Jesus. In the cross, here's us. That's where our strength is, you know. Not in what people say or don't say.

You feel the release in that? When I receive it, I can release it. God, show me who to encourage today. I don't need anything from you today. Here, I got mine at the cross. I got mine in the presence of God. In his presence, as the fullness of joy. I am complete in Him.

I am the righteousness of God. Somebody shout, I am complete. I am complete. I don't need you to complete me. I am complete in the cross of Jesus Christ where he pled. Receive this ministry. God is trying to get you to release what you have received. You've been doing it the wrong way.

You've been trying to receive it, release it, receive it, release it, release it, release it, it, receive it, release it, receive it from him. Don't try to receive it from them. They are unpredictable and they got their own stuff and their own reasons. Receive it, release it. If you receive this word, lift your hands. Lift them high. Like you have a father who loves you and made up his mind about you and isn't trying to decide whether or not to accept you on the basis of your performance. Somebody say, my righteousness is in the cross.

Keep your hands stretched. This is how you live. This is how you get it. This is how you get it. This is how you get it. This is how you get it. Not when a group accepts you, not when a promotion comes. This is how you get it.

You're going to go into this week with something to give. You're going to go into this week knowing who you are. Lift your hands. Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry is because of you that this ministry is possible. You can click the link in the description to give now or visit elevationchurch.org slash podcast for more information. And if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe, you can share it with your friends. You can click the share

button, take a screenshot, and share it on your social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.