Terry Siverd
Link to sermon video: A Cruciform Life – T Siverd
A CRUCIFORM LIFE
Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / August 03, 2025
Tell of the teen boy in the church van who used the word “Dude” exclusively.
Several years ago I encountered a new word in Leonard Allen’s book, The Cruciform Church.
This word cruciform belongs to a family of words we know well: crucify…crucifixion…crux…crucial…crucible…cruciate.
When we read the epistles of the apostle Paul it becomes clear that he seems fixated on the cross of Christ.
His fixation is not an occupational hazard, it is intentional – – it is the catalyst for his entire ministry.
Paul was whole-heartedly animated by “the mind of Christ” (1Cor.2:16). He writes in 1Cor.2:2 – –
I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
He was totally captivated by “the word of the cross” (1Cor.1:18).
This is, after all, what we might expect from Paul who had his heart set on His Lord Jesus Christ,
of whom the Scriptures declare “for the joy set before Him (Jesus) endured the cross” (Heb.12:12).
This word cruciform simply means “cross-shaped”.
This morning I want to speak to us about the importance of living a cross-shaped life.
Leonard Allen subtitles his book, “Becoming A Cross-Shaped People In A Secular World”.
Brother Allen, makes makes this observation (p.113) – –
“The most pressing question facing Churches of Christ today is the question,
Can we recover the ‘word of the cross’ in its biblical fullness? No other question comes close to this one.”
He argues that, “This question towers over all other questions for at least two reasons.”
First, he notes that the word of the cross has been significantly displaced in the history of our fellowship.
Over the last 150 years many of our churches have unintentionally pushed the cross into the background.
In promoting the importance of “hearing, believing, repenting, confessing and being baptized” as God’s
“plan of salvation”, some have inadvertently minimized or marginalized the centrality of the cross.
Over the years I have become convinced that is a serious error to speak of being baptized without emphasizing that
we are baptized INTO CHRIST. These two additional words keeps the focus where it is meant to be – – ON JESUS.
Secondly, Leonard Allen observes that in our present culture,
Jesus’ call to follow the way of the cross has become almost unintelligible.
He speaks of many churches that seem to be flourishing, but notes that it is a Christianity with little room for the cross.
In this regard, I think it is correct to say that the church of our day has been seriously squeezed by our modern culture.
One could cadidly add that the church of today is often more about “conformity” than it is “cruciformity”.
We will never be a cross-shaped church if we allow the world to dominate our thinking.
The proper presentation & reception of the gospel demands that the cross of Christ be kept the central focus of faith.
A correct reading of Scripture acknowledges that the cross is the centerpiece of God’s plan of redemption.
Paul writes (1Cor.1:17), …Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ be made void. He summarizes with an emphatic delcaration (vs.21), …we preach Christ CRUCIFIED.
The apostles boldy affirmed not only that Christ was crucified, but that He was was crucified for us.
Paul writes (Rom.5:6) – – God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Peter echoes this sentiment (1Pet.2:24) – – He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross.
Likewise we read from John (1Jn.4:14) – – the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
When we ask, what is the significance of the cross of Christ as to our salvation the answer is a resounding “everything”, which demands that we keep prioritizing the supreme importance of GOD’S GOODNESS AND GRACE.
I would like to think that all of us realize that without the cross of Christ there is no redemption or salvation from sin.
A second question, which begs for deeper explanation (this is our focus in this morning’s sermon) is this – –
What is the meaning of the cross regarding our sanctification?
What does it mean for the church (for each one of us as Christians) to live under the cross?
Both of these questions are worthy of constant and ongoing exploration and application.
As to our both our salvation (the means of life) and our sanctification (the methodology of life) the cross of Christ is key.
We falter badly as a church when we fail to comprehend the meaning and necessity of a cross-shaped life.
The New Testament teaches us that our baptism inaugurates our life as a Christian.
Regarding baptism Paul declares (Ro.6:4) – – Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into His death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Paul states this same truth with brevity in 2Cor.5:7 – – If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
In Col.3:1-2, Paul makes it clear that this “newness of life” is not a singular endeavor (baptism), but rather he states:
If then you have been raised us with Christ, KEEP SEEKING THE THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE…
Reiterating this point he writes, Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
God’s ultimate plan for our salvation included the incarnation. God Himself, in the person of His only
begotten Son (Jn.3:16), came to earth to do for us what we could do for ourselves (atone for our sins).
This act of atonement by the perfect Lamb of God was put on full display by the event of the cross of Christ.
However, it is important to note here that the work of the cross did not cease the day Jesus was crucifed.
In Lk.14:27 we read these words – – Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.’
This non-optional demand from Jesus is both shocking and earth-shaking.
This high calling should make us all stop and think soberly about what it means to be a Christian.
In a very real sense we are the church of the crucified ones!
This Lk.14:27 passage also holds the key to living a sanctified life.
We dare not be santimonious, but we cannot live a cruciform life without living a sanctified life.
In other words, taking up our cross means that our love for God and imitation of Christ must be preeminent.
Few would argue that Jesus would be pleased to be offered a secondary role in our lives. Christ must not only have a significant role in our lives, He must have a supreme role!! If Christ is not LORD OF ALL, He is not Lord at all.
We cannot call Jesus “Lord” and then go about our daily lives relegating Him to secondary status.
The preeminence of Christ (Lk.14:26) means that Jesus means more to us more than any of our earthly relationships – – more than our parents, more than our mates, more than our children and more than our siblings. And we could add: more than our friends, more than our workmates, more than our pets, more than our sports heroes,
more than anything else we hold near and dear to us. Even more than our own life.
Living a cruciform life (a cross-shaped life) is not accomplished by the singular act of being baptized.
Jesus states (Lk.9:23): If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take us his cross daily and follow Me.
What begins with our profession and declaration in the act of baptism must be implemented (practiced) daily.
Paul reveals the essence of “the cross” in Philp.2:7 when he notes that Jesus EMPTIED HIMSELF.
In Gal.2:20 Paul accentuates that the cross of Christ demands that we, too, take up our cross.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
John writes (1Jn.2:6): The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
Peter reminds us (1Pet.2:21) that Jesus has left us an example to follow in His steps.
It is not drudgery to follow in the steps of Jesus – – it is JOY spelled with all caps.
Every day each of us needs to wake up asking ourselves, How can I die to self today?.
How can I better live a cruciform life (conformed to the image of God’s son/Rom.8:29)?
How can I better walk in the steps of Jesus and thereby come to look more and more like Jesus?
How much do we walk, talk and think like Jesus?
Outline (Word document): Sermon_08-03-25_A_Cruciform_Life.doc