The Unexpected Cross

(125) Shane Vaughn Preaches - "The Unexpected Cross" - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVH3hhnqx0E Transcript: (00:00) Romans 16 and verse 13 It's a small verse and it seems very insignificant it just says greet Rufus chosen in the Lord and his mother and mine greet Rufus you know you would pass right by that verse and not give it any attention unless you knew the story story behind that verse here the Apostle Paul makes special mention of a man named Rufus and he told the ones that he was writing to he said when you go to Jerusalem I want you to find a man named Rufus and I want you to tell him that I said hello now what would cause a man to be (00:57) so special that Paul would call him out by name and then he said greet his mother and tell her I said hello well there are no insignificant verses in the Bible I want to tell you the story about Rufus and hopefully it will help you to understand the beauty of this verse let's go to Mark 15 verse 21 what is it about Rufus that Paul couldn't forget what was it about this man that made Paul never forget him we find the story in Mark 15 verse 21 but they compelled one named Simon a seran who came out of the country and (02:00) was passing by the father of Alexander and Rufus to carry his cross now one day there was a man and I want to preach to you tonight about the unexpected cross there was a man that was at his house one day and most probably his wife said darling I want you to wake up and go to town today she probably gave him a grocery list and she said I want you to go and get the eggs and the the bread and just a normal day in the life of a man named Simon Simon was about his business of life and he starts walking down to Jerusalem and when he gets to Jerusalem (02:57) he hears the strangest commotion there's a large crowd in the streets today it's not like a normal day in Jerusalem and Simon is minding his business Simon is not there to change the world he's just like you when you wake up every day he was just doing Simon he knew that today would not be special it was just another day every one of you in this room today have what we call expected crosses in life brother you know that tomorrow you've got to wake up and go to work that's an expected cross that we deal with we know (03:54) that tomorrow that the bill collector will call about 9:00 sometimes earlier we know that every day our life is filled with expected crosses we understand that there's going to be a day when somebody's going to get sick these are things that we plan for that's right these are things that we anticipate they're called daily crosses that we all must bear and today Simon was expected ing the cross of grocery shopping he was expecting to deal with an expected everyday life but something happened when Simon got to Jerusalem somebody called out his name (04:49) and said Simon you and he looks around it's just an ordinary day in Simon life Simon you come here and Simon obeys the soldier and he walks over there and the the soldier points down to a cross and said carry that man's cross Simon didn't know who this man was he was just a common criminal he just looked like an ordinary Thief Simon had no idea that he was the son of God Simon had no idea that this unexpected cross that had just come into his life was the will of God for his life you had no idea and I'm sure if that would have (05:52) been me and someone said carry that man's cross in my mind I would have said who does he think he is carry his own cross but Simon that day saw the cross it was hot outside why do I have to be done wrong he probably said why do I have to suffer for something I have not done why do I have to be given an injustice of carrying a cross I didn't commit the crime but I have to believe that somehow as Simon knelt down to take up the cross I just believe that he might have got a clipse into the eyes of the Lamb of God that's right and I have to believe for (06:57) that one moment in time when he looked in those eyes the eyes told the story of A Thousand Years the eyes told him everything he needed to know I want you to put yourself in Simon's shoes and I want you to imagine being asked to Bear a burden that makes no sense being asked to deal with drama that you didn't create being asked to carry a burden that you didn't ask for nor do you deserve now I'm preaching to everybody in this room and everybody around the world I'm telling you that there's going to come a day in your life when no one (07:52) can explain to you why that happened to you I can't explain to why he's got to carry a cross that he doesn't deserve to carry but something happened in that moment when he saw the eyes of Jesus something changed in his heart to the point that he was willing to carry an unexpected cross a cross not of his own making a cross that he did not deserve but in one moment in the presence of God your will will crumble for One Moment In The Presence of Jesus something will break inside of you to where you're willing to (08:47) be another man's servant thank you Lord help Lord just one moment in the presence of the Lord will cause you to give up your throne for for a cross that's not your own for one moment when you get in the presence of the Lord one moment all of the things that's been done wrong to you all of the injustices of Life all of the demands that people have made on you when you should be living the good life when that happens you've got to look at the eyes of our Lord and allow him to explain to you with one look in his presence it'll (09:32) be worth it after all when you come into prayer when you come into the presence of the Lord when that happens every resentment in your heart will break towards those that have made you carry crosses that you didn't have to carry only when you come and I know the Lord spoke to me 13 minutes ago what to speak tonight to somebody here you're carrying a cross that you do not deserve to carry but I want to reveal to you what the purpose of this unexpected cross is because if you will go back to the Book of Mark where we just read you (10:19) will find that Simon was the father of two little boys one was Nam Alexander and the other was named ruus now watch this Simon went home after he carried that cross and placed it on Go's Hill he had two choices this day he could stomp back to the house and busted the door and say low down bless God you w believe what I had to do today and there's this little boy said Daddy what what happened Daddy he could have very easily failed to see God behind the cross he could very easily have thought that he had been done (11:14) wrong and he could have planted a seed in Rufus that day that would make him hate the church would make him hate the preacher would make him hate everybody because of what happened to his daddy that's right oh but I don't believe that's how Rufus came home Simon came home I believe that a change happened in Simon's heart when he heard them cry crucify him crucify him I believe when when Simon looked at the cross and saw Mary the mother of Jesus crying at the cross when I heard when he heard people say he's innocent he didn't do anything (11:56) I believe a change begin to happen in Simon and in that moment of time he surrendered his will to the will of God for his life and in that moment his whole house got saved thank you Lord God hallelujah [Music] hallelujah I believe he walked through the door and he came in and sweating that evening and his wife runs to him his sons run to a Daddy what happened what's wrong he's tired he's weak and he's we and I believe he looked at him and said oh today I [Music] met the ones the prophets told us about today I'm he see see he when he (12:50) mentioned in the cross he done forgot about the burden because he had met the blessing Hallelujah he probably said today one mention of oh I was walking and they threw across no no no see when you get in the presence of God then the things of this earth grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and his grace everything that doesn't go right in your life when you submit it to the Lord all of a sudden that burden turns into your blessing so that you can bless others and I believe that Simon said boys come here let me tell you (13:37) boys boys I want to tell y'all a story and I don't ever want you to forget it children there was a man that was innocent today that died for your sins and for mine because on the way down from putting the cross up for it I met one of his disciples and he told me the story about the man that I carried the cross for listen to me oh until you get to the place in your life where it's not the burden but until you get eyes to see the blessing behind the burden you'll resent it you'll hate everybody you'll despise the church you'll despise the preacher (14:21) you'll despise the Saints you'll despise life Simon what happened today I gave my life to the Son of God thank you Lord and Rufus I want you and Alexander and your mama to come here and right now I want all three of you to place your faith in the Son of God as well right now Sons I want you to tell me that you believe that he is the Son of God I want you to tell me wife that you believe it because you must be saved and listen children it was in that moment of decision to reject bitterness and embrac the blessing that (15:10) he could not see that's right thank you Lord he became an overcomer hallelujah hallelujah the path to overcoming is to reject the bitterness for an unexpected cross that you didn't ask for oh praise God may I be the first person to reveal the greatest Revelation you're ever going to get in your life are you ready life ain't Fair until you get it until you understand it until you accept it you will hate in a deep place in your heart you will hate the way your family turn out you will hate the way your church turned out you will hate the way your (15:57) life turned out because it's always let me tell you something you ever heard somebody say nobody's to blame yes they are if I wanted to start blaming right now I could start with my mama yeah oh yes I was done wrong in my life and anybody tell you if you want to start blaming we can find there's people in your life that deserve the blame for some things that have happened to you they do and in that day Simon there was a a soldier that deserved the blame for making you carry a cross that wasn't yours but for the child of God we don't (16:38) play the blame game we play the trust game we transfer blame into trust that if God allowed it if God allowed it there is a purpose behind it turn with me to the Book of Mark I'm sorry to the book of First Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse three every one of you listening to me tonight there's somebody that you can blame for your trouble there's somebody that Did You Wrong there's somebody that didn't raise you right but I want to give you the secret tonight to a happy life and here's the secret it's found in (17:22) first Thessalonians 4 and 3 I tell you what let's read 5 and 8 18 first 1 Thessalonians 5:18 I wish somebody would grasp this and never let it go are you ready in [Music] everything for this is I don't know why Lord but I do know that the only way I can say me and Rufus and Alexander is to give you thanks for what I do not understand because this is the will of God thank you Lord now I want to reveal something to you brother V I think what that saying is it's God's will for me to give thanks no that's not what it saying (18:26) read it closer now listen carefully this is I fixed to teach you something that kept me free from hating my stepmother hating my father hating my mother hate it Set Me Free from hate there's not a hate in my body and it's only by the I don't take no medicine not to hate Hallelujah prise God I love everybody I get talk about every day by people that misunderstand my Ministry I get talked about but you know what don't hate I don't even they I don't even know how to ignore people I just love I love everybody here's why because that verse (19:07) did not say giving thanks is the will of God that's not what it said it said everything that you're going through is the will of God for your life in everything in every situation give thanks why because the situation is the will of God for your life oh Hallelujah that's a revelation that will change your life in everything give than why because the thing God allowed for a purpose that you may not understand it's not your job to understand it's your job to give thanks because you understand God allowed it God allowed it to come and if you're (20:04) going to get mad at anybody you got to get mad at God and who wants to do that that's right that's right you want to blame somebody for your life well blame the one that allowed it and I dare you to do that so now what choice do you have you got to forgive you because if it's God's will what you went through uh-huh how can you be mad that's right unless you don't believe in God then you're just a dummy but if you do then you understand in [Music] everything this is the will of God for me yes I don't understand it I've gone (20:48) through things the past couple of weeks with family that things that's happened and you're like my God surely surely you know I heard the preacher on TV that said it was God's will for me to prosper pring this don't look like prospering don't you ever misunderstand what prospering looks like yes the Bible said the righteous man yes lays down his head at night and sleeps well oh Hallelujah I may go through hell all day long but let me tell you something I've never taken a sleeping pill never you know why I'm at (21:27) peace with God thank you Lord you may not know me but he knows me thank you Lord I said you may not understand me but he does as long as I fixed it up with him I'm going to be all right I don't care who's done me wrong I'm going to love them so much that they understand listen the reason that God allows people to do you wrong is to be the mirror of what's inside of you in your mirror and when you curse them back you have become just like them that's right so now you fail that when God will send somebody else tomorrow that'll tell you you're fat as (22:13) a cow and then you come back and say well least I'm not as ugly as a donkey see see there's a mirror that's pulling that old man out of you but when you understand that God allowed them to come to test you to find out what's inside of you to find out if you will be thankful brother Von why are you preaching this because there's too many people mad at the world that needs medicine they need mental help because of what's been done to them let me give you your drug are you ready get than praise God that's right that's your (22:55) drug that's it you want to get set free right now thank you Lord thank you Lord for everything that I don't deserve that you've allowed to come into my life thank you because now I understand the thing is the will of God concerning me you need to Circle that verse you need to underline it you need to highlight it you need to put it on every wall in your house in every change the word everything to every situation every every trial every Darkness every attack yes this is the will of God every and when you understand this is (23:40) the will of God then you've got to give thanks that's right and when you give thanks it'll put dancing in your feet rejoicing in your heart because here's why I'm giving you thanks Lord there's never been a time when I've seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread I may not understand it but I thank you for it Lord hallelujah brother Von what is God's will for my life 1 Thessalonians 4 and3 how many's ever said if I just knew God's will for my life if it's not that hard one verse is going to reveal it to you 1 (24:33) Thessalonians 4 and 3 for this is the will of God now hold on brother van I want to know God's will for my life no you really don't oh it's God's will for you to be happy no it's God's will for you to be holy that's the problem you've listened to all these TV preachers that said it's God's will for you to be happy let me tell you there's only one in this life that will bring you happiness and that's Holiness that's right happiness is the end result of living [Music] [Applause] [Music] holy yes the verse says this is the will (25:18) of God for you to be Sanctified now let me break it down for you to be set apart in Holiness and abstain from fornication now hold on brother B you're telling me the whole will of God for my life is not to have sex before I get married no this is pointing to one of The Commandments of God that's right that's just one it's using it as an example here is the will of God for your life to be set apart now do you want an English definition for set apart totally different from everybody else I thought you wanted to know God's (26:11) will that's it he don't want you like them that's and he will do whatever it takes to break that out of you and you C like that let me tell you something do you know that God and I'm almost done you're very lucky shortest I've ever preached at this church listen to me do you know that God gave you 75 years 75 years and I want you to hear what I'm about to say in the beginning God gave men thousands of years to live because the process of life is the process of change you were born every single one of us as the son of (27:07) man now brother men are animals men are animals women are animals if you go to the Jungle there's one law in the jungle and it's called The Law of the Jungle somebody reach out your hand just like like this everybody reach out your hand and grab and pull it to you that's the way of the Jungle that's the way of the Jungle the way of get somebody say get animals if you put their food down and another animal goes to get their food tell me what happens right but you're no different you were no different you're an animal it was all about you from the (28:07) moment you were born from the moment I was born it was all about what you could get oh if you don't believe me that's why you became an addict so you could get more drugs that's why you became H H so many things I can name because you were a getter you were a taker you were part of the law of the jungle but take your hand and fist it for me now and stretch it back out and release That's the Law of Faith thank you Lord give that's right Satan is a getter God is a giver thank you Lord you are either a getter or a (28:55) giver you're a taker or a giver that's right when you face an unexpected cross in your life if you're still a taker it will show up with this one question you ready why me why me Lord what did I do you're still a taker you're still all about me why me as if to say you don't deserve that as if to say you're you're good but when you fall in love with the will of God and he sends that old unexpected cross into your life your question then becomes why not me there must still be an old way in me that needs to come out and God's gave you 75 years sister (30:00) Justina to turn you from a taker to a how many's ever heard o for Winfrey and all the talk show hosts tell you don't let nobody walk on you that's demonic you're that's demonic what if Jesus would have taken that advice I won't be walked over really well then you won't Rule and reign in the Millennium either God's got people designed to walk on [Music] you to take from you to see see there's got to be a change sister Justina you got 75 years that's why God said my spirit is not going to continue to strive with man thousands of you I'm (30:55) giving you 75 to change thank you Lord from an animal from a son of man to a Son of God that's we're givers we bear our crosses with Thanksgiving we despise the shame with Thanksgiving we get made fun of where it's this is the despised way children this way is the your flesh despises it we live in a world where you're not successful unless you have something to show for it but in the eyes of God you're successful when you have nothing to show for it and you're satisfied with that nothing God wants to change you tonight (31:49) he wants to turn you into Simon and then some 70 years later the missionary Paul his mind went to Jerusalem about a very powerful woman and a powerful man in the church Rufus and his mama they had carried the church in Jerusalem because one man chose not to get offended by an unexpected trial thank you Lord they became pillars in the Christian church thank you Lord because they that mother that wife could have easily said well who do they think they were you're signon but no she chose the despise way and accepted what happened to them as (32:42) the word of God when you accept your trial as the word of you will be an overcomer on that day yes [Music] for whatever you have to do to me don't let me be lost for eternity far above all