General Superintendent Jerry D. Porter welcomed Nazarenes to the second worship service of the 27th General Assembly and Conventions by introducing its theme to the 11,000 in attendance. Worship leader Scott Kelley launched the service into a thoughtful injunction born of the words Jesus: "Take up your cross and follow Jesus"

The looming cross erected for the service stood as a mute reminder of Christ's call. Premier Studios and crew installed the 26-foot, 800-pound cross in front of the podium for the Thursday evening service. Requested by General Superintendent J.K. Warrick as a part of the theme of his message, Greg Johnson of Olathe, Kansas, built the enormous cross in his garage and it was trucked to Orlando. The structure was assembled on-site and a team of two scissor lifts dropped the pieces of the cross into place. The skillful hands that built and assembled the cross were far different from the hands of those who erected the Cross of Christ 2000 years ago.

As the worship team sang "Worthy is the Lamb," people came and gathered at the foot of the cross in silent, yet poignant testimony to their devotion of the Christ who has been declared worthy as the Lamb of God.

Warrick was preceded by the Olivetians, a musical group from Olivet Nazarene University, singing, "Lord, you're holy and we lift you up and magnify your name." As the audience - standing to its feet - expressed their praise to God, Warrick asked, "Would you like to hear them sing this again?" The audience shouted its affirmative reply. Warrick responded: "Let's just have church tonight!"

Sensing the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Warrick read his scripture. He introduced his message with a quotation from John Fischer:

"The church ... has become increasingly accustomed to Christianity without a cross - or, at best, with one hanging harmlessly in the background. In our eagerness to popularize Christianity, we have created a very user-friendly gospel that asks for hardly a sacrifice. We have forgotten that in the middle of this gospel stands a cross-an instrument of [death] execution, the splinters of which are largely ignored by a contemporary Christian world eager to tell mostly the good part of the story."

Warrick continued:

"Some have concluded that the cross was some kind of cosmic accident or that the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a myth.

"But what we think does not change the truth of the cross. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the fulfillment of the prophetic word of God and the revelation of His saving love, does not need to be ratified by anyone. It is what it is!

"And it is at and in the cross that we experience the deeper work of God in our lives."

The General Superintendent concluded his message by saying:

"There are so many others in this room tonight who have denied themselves, taken up their crosses, and followed Jesus in this life of full surrender."

Joining him at the foot of the cross were Brian and Missy Schmelzenbach, Verne and Natalie Ward, and Gary and Vicki Morsch - three couples who demonstrate full surrender to the call of Christ and their willingness to take up their cross.