The Rough Road to Calvary

I'm dead set against the prosperity gospel that preaches health, wealth, and happiness if you follow Jesus. It's a lie from the pit of hell, and his proponents are false prophets who merely want your money for fuel in their $60 million jets. But the Bible, from front cover to back, is full of examples of individuals who followed God at a great cost to them.

Anyone who tells you, friend, that being a Christian means a life of all sunshine and roses is simply lying to you. Well, there will be seasons of sunshine and roses will bloom, but there will be other times when you hit a storm and so hard and the sky is so black and lightning and hail are falling all around you in such unrelenting violence, you'll wonder if God even knows who you are and if you'll even survive. The title of my message today, friends, is The Rough Road to Calvary.

For when Jesus was condemned to die, he was led away in chains along a stony path that hurt his feet, and on top of his back was the terrible weight of a heavy cross that they made him carry to his own execution. He got a little help along the way, but when he finally got to Calvary, he was crucified unto death on a bloody cross. And if you're going to follow a crucified Christ, friend, then you have to try that rough road to Calvary as well.

The Apostle Paul spoke knowingly of the cross in the life of a believer in Galatians 2.20 when he wrote, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, in the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. As I speak to you right now, friends, I'm surrounded by a multitude of problems, which are mainly financial, and they hover over me like hungry vultures, and on top of that my health is fragile at best. But I have more of Jesus now than I've ever had before, because he has more of me now than he has ever had before.

The rough road to Calvary leads to a cross, but there is power there. Being crucified with Christ means death to sin and self. A crucified Christ must have crucified followers.

And when your feet are bleeding from walking that rough road to Calvary, and when blisters on your feet are your only new companions, you'll know what it means to stand there in the shadow of that cross and embrace it for Christ's sake and the gospel. I believe some Christians understand this better than others. I believe the Chinese Christians in the underground church of China know what I'm talking about.

They know part and parcel the sacrifice of trotting that rough road to Calvary. They have counted the cost and have decided that Jesus is not only worthy, he is worth it. You may be going through a hard time, friend, and it may seem at times too unbearable, but as you walk that rough road to Calvary, know for a fact that there is a shadow on the road beside you.

He is wearing a crown of victory, and he loves you so much, he was willing to tread that road all by himself because every friend he had forsook him. He endured the shame and pain of Calvary for you and me. It is a high privilege to be called a Christian, and we have a high priest who makes intercession for us in the person of our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Get to know him, friend. Draw close to him, learn of him, lean on him. He will get you through to the end.

You can count on him, for he won't ever let you down, and he won't ever let you go, but give your all to him, friend. Don't hold anything back. At Calvary, he didn't hold anything back for you.