Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY The offense of the Cross Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA February 29, 2004 NOTE: Responding to the movement of the Holy Spirit in the Feb. 29, 2004 worship service, Pastor Jerry Varnado set aside his prepared sermon for the day and preached this impromptu sermon. Main Scripture text: John 3:10-21. Many have tried to remove the Cross from its central place in Christian theology. The Cross offends our sensibilities -- especially in our "enlightened" age. But the Cross of Christ is the perfect picture what sin looks like: it is a bloody mess. The Cross reveals the tragedy and horror of sin in the world. Christianity isn't a clean, "civilized" religion. It is a frontal attack on the kingdoms of darkness. That's not pretty -- but it is glorious. Why was the Cross necessary? Because all of us are born with a sentence of death hanging over us. In the Cross, God took that death sentence on Himself. Christ -- God in human flesh -- the One who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus said the Son of man "must be lifted up" -- and he was lifted up on the cross, an indelible picture of the horror of sin. It's a picture that also has great beauty, because it is a picture of God's supreme sacrifice of love for humanity. Indeed, Jesus has transformed the cross, something that represented torture and death, into something that represents love and life. Once again I look upon the cross where You died. I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside. Once again I thank You, Once gain I pour out my life. Thank You for the cross, my Friend.* Supporting texts: Psalm 139:12 | John 12:32 | Genesis 2:15-17 | Genesis 3:15 | Luke 3:21-22 | Mark 15:34 | 2 Corinthians 5:21 | Numbers 21:4-9 © 2004 Gerald R. Varnado *Lyrics by Matt Redman ©1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us