Being a good to see you here tonight.
So encouraged by your interest, in spiritual things, and your
support of this gospel meeting. And we're looking forward to
studying the word of God together tonight, I invite you
to turn with me to Matthew chapter 16 verse 21 through 27.
As I read to you, the words of an old hymn, you're very
familiar with It goes like this. Must Jesus, bear, the cross
alone, and all the world go free.
No, there's a cross for everyone and there's a cross for me.
The consecrated cross. I'll bear Till Death Shall Set
Me Free and then go home. My crown to wear For, there's a
crown for me. This beautiful song was inspired
by the passage that we're going to read now and it is this idea
that we would like to explore and to talk about in some detail
tonight. And see if we can't better
understand how we can be disciples followers in the
truest sense of our Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew 16 beginning
with verse 21, From that time. Jesus began to show his
disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things
from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be
killed and be raised the third day, then Peter took him aside
and began to rebuke him saying far be it from you Lord this
shall not happen to you but he turned and said to Peter get
behind me Satan you're an offense to me for you are not
mindful of the things of God, the things of men.
N. Then Jesus said to his
disciples. If anyone desires to come after
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me
for whoever desires to save his life, will lose it.
But whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it for what
profit is it to a man? If he gains the whole world and
loses his own soul or what will a man give in exchange for his?
Soul for the son of man will come in the glory of his father,
with his angels. And then he will reward each
according to his words. Matthew, 16 is a incredible
chapter, many wonderful and exciting.
Things happen in this chapter. But when it comes to our
everyday living, there is no fought expressed or no series of
thoughts, expressed that is more important for us in serving God
and in reacting and interacting with our Brothers and Sisters in
Christ as well as those out in the world.
In the passage we're going to notice tonight.
Matthew 16 verse 24, A couple touching experiences over the
summer inspired me to explore this passage a little bit more
carefully and see if I understood it as well, as I
thought, I needed to while our family was leaving a minor
league baseball game and Nashville.
We Came Upon a man who was carrying a teenage boy over his
shoulder. His face was facing us and even
Liz's kind of an awkward way for I believe the stadium, the
situation, his face look of on his face was one of extreme joy
and and happiness. Of course, this led to some
interesting conversations with our family as we walked Walked
towards our vehicle. Then a short time later, Joey
and I were in Missouri. And one of the elders there,
Oscar Morris took Joey and I to a fascinating Museum that was
dedicated to George Washington. Carver, who is a famous
scientist and inventor many facts about Carver's life
inspired all, but there was one particular detail that hit me
and has stuck with me. And that was that this man's
favorite song. This man who persevered under
incredible adversity, was this song that we referred to before
the prayer? Must Jesus bear the cross alone.
This man Carver was a victim of appalling, racial animosity in
the museum. It, it depicted some of what
happened, explain some of the things that he went through and
some of the things that that he witnessed, in fact, his
description of some of these were every bit as brutal as some
of the things we've heard of from Hitler's Germany and Saddam
Hussein's Iraq. Well both of these It's is
triggered the thought of the love of the Bible.
The love of the Bible that Jesus has demonstrated and that that
love is not just something that we're supposed to enjoy for
ourselves, but it's something we're to reflect and particular
this passage. If anyone desires, Matthew
16:24, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself.
Take up his cross and follow me. Have you ever wondered how this
must have sounded to the apostles?
The first time these words graced the savior's lips?
I think it probably hit them a lot harder than it does to us
after all. We've heard it so many times and
we've sung this idea and it doesn't carry.
I think the same meaning as it did when they first heard it
because when the apostles first heard it, they lived and the
environment in which they understood.
Would something that I just became aware of.
Recently that in Jerusalem, there would be hundreds of
crucifixions that year. And now Jesus was saying, I'm
going to be one of them. And unless you're willing to
take up your cross and follow me, you really can't be my
disciple. Well, whether or not we are
living out this teaching is one thing, but it certainly not if
we're not living it out because it's so difficult to understand.
And grasp, Jesus is saying basically three things here.
Number one, If you want to be my disciple, if you want to follow
me, you're going to have to deal with yourself.
By denying self, you're going to have to deal with others and the
circumstances of Life by taking up your cross and then third
simply just follow me walk the way I walk.
Talk the way I talk and such a simple sentence, how hard could
that be? How hard could it be to live
live that out in her life? Let's go back and let's look at
it piece by piece. If anyone desires to come after
me when he's talking to people who were thinking, That's when
he said that. Well, of course that's us.
We want to follow you, we wouldn't be here.
We wouldn't be going with you from place to place if that were
not the case. But Jesus was saying, do you
really want to be my disciples? Is that really what you want to
do? Are you sure you want to come
after me? How far are you willing to go?
And here we are two thousand years later but we need to
imagine as if G is when he mentions these words was
speaking directly to us because they certainly do apply to us
then Jesus gives three ways in which we can test the intensity
of our desire to follow him. And isn't what Jesus is saying
here? Just another way of packaging,
the spirit of the greatest of Commandments, and Matthew, 22
verse 37 through 9. We've sung a little bit about
that tonight. You shall love the Lord, your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
mind, and all your strength. And your neighbor as yourself.
One thing's for sure. I cannot truly love God, and my
neighbor without denying myself. A lot of times, we think, Well,
yes, I love God, yes, I love my neighbor, but we don't really
spend a lot of time focusing on the idea of denying ourselves.
And when we talk about denying ourselves, what do we mean?
It's really pretty simple. If anyone desires to come after
me, let him deny himself. What do you mean?
He means saying no to me saying no to the flesh saying no to my
wants saying no to my wishes. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the
Christian Life? Was just about saying, no, but
it wasn't so much saying, no, to me.
It just meant saying no to other people be pretty easy for that,
was that if that was all, there was to it.
And that's one of the things we learned to do earliest, and one
of the things we do, most often, as a little child, isn't it?
You learn to say, no, we learn to say no to everybody else and
everything else that everybody else wants us to do.
But, you know, the Christian life is not about that.
Now, there are times when we've got to say, no, there are times
when we have to say no to others.
There are times we have to Say no to immorality.
There are times that we have to say no to worldliness to alcohol
to drugs to in modesty and the list goes on and on if things
that we shouldn't say, no. And the in occasions when we
must say no to others. But here this is not saying
that. He's not saying deny others.
He's saying deny yourself, tell yourself no.
I'm telling myself no would be hard enough if I just lived in a
vacuum for what. Interacting with other people, I
was just isolated from everyone else.
If I had to say no to too much food, no to too much spending
know, the too much sleeping, too.
Too much entertainment or recreation?
No, to losing my temper to retaliating and so on.
But no, God has placed us purposefully in a World where we
have to interact with others. And one of the things that God
wants to see as we interact with others.
Are we willing to say? No, to ourselves?
The world says, say yes, say yes.
Never say no to yourself. Never tell yourself.
No. Jesus says, you gotta say, no,
you gotta say no to yourself. McGarvey on this verse, says,
the disciple must learn to say no to many of the strongest
Cravings of his Earthly nature, the cross is a symbol for Duty,
which is to be performed daily at any cost.
Even that of the most painful death, the disciple must follow
Jesus both as his teaching and example Barnes ads.
Let him not seek his own happiness, as the Supreme
object, but be willing to renounce, all and lay down his
life. Also, if required.
Twist talking about here. Don't think about that much
doing. Another great doctrine of Christ
is found in Matthew 6, verse 33. And when he issues for this
statement, really what it is is just a positive restatement of
Matthew 16:24 seek first, The kingdom of God and his
righteousness. Same message, isn't it?
We should follow him that we should do what he did, and make
sure that we don't allow other things to clutter up our mind
and clutter up our lives. Clutter up our priorities that
the issues of the kingdom and issues of righteous living must
take precedence in John 6:38. Jesus said, that's the way I
live. Yeah he took on a body, he took
on flesh and he said no to self John 6:38.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will,
but the will of him. Who has sent me, and then of
course, we have the ultimate teaching method.
These Jesus doesn't say, this is what I'm here to do, and this is
how I'm going to live, but he shows us by his example.
As he agonizes in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Luke. 22:42 hear the words. He went a little farther and
fell on his face. And prayed o my father.
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
He didn't want it. He didn't want to drink that
cup. So we prayed if it's possible,
take it away. Nevertheless not my will.
But thine be done. No word, more aptly describes,
Jesus and self-denial. And we want to be like Jesus,
don't we? We got a we're going to be like
Jesus, we've got to say no to self.
Frankly, I was surprised as I look through the New Testament
and what the apostles had to say that?
How many times I've overlooked this teaching by the apostles
themselves? Emphasizing self-denial speaking
of perilous times Paul writes in second Timothy 3 verse 2 for men
shall be lovers of their own selves.
He makes that like it's it's about the worst possible state
that man could be in loving themselves.
This is not to say that we should have an attitude of
self-loathing that we can't stand ourselves.
Remember, Jesus says love thy neighbor as thyself, but the
idea here is according to Thayer, too intent on one's own
self interest and that can slip into our hearts.
It's a very surprising ways sometimes that can happen to us
even when we're discussing something that is right and
we're willing to stand up for something that's rides.
We're not going to say no to our self.
And we hide sometimes behind truth and behind.
Right? Jesus says, you got to be
careful there. Avoiding this Pitfall will
demand a high level of self-awareness and aggressive
self-regulation, Stephen Covey. And one of his books talks about
the idea of the, the difference between man and animal is our
ability, when something shocking, something revolting.
Something upsetting happens to us.
The difference between us and the Animals.
The animals programmed, he's going to react and we react very
fiercely there between us, and the animal is we're able to as
he puts it. Push the pause button.
Push the pause and just for that Split Second.
We have a moment to thank what's the what's the right response
here? What's the right reaction?
But too many times. I know I am thinking self self
is going to get his opportunity, I'm going to say and I'm going
to do what I want to right now, but that didn't fit with the
tenor of the New Testament. And that doesn't match up with
the life that Jesus live. And that doesn't fit with what
Jesus is teaching here about discipleship in Matthew 16:24.
Paul puts it this way in Galatians. 2:20, I have been
crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but
Christ lives in me and the life, which I now live in the flesh, I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself
for me. She was supposed to be about is
shrinking, this me shrinking? This me and allowing Jesus to
fill up my life and Jesus response and reaction.
To be expressed in me. Augustine was probably the most
famous for century Christian writer.
Soon. After his conversion, he was
walking down the street in Milan.
Italy where he met a harlot who made known in his previous life,
she called out to him. But he wouldn't answer.
He kept right on walking Augustine.
She cried, it is. I without missing a beat and
with the Assurance of Christ in his heart, he replied.
Yes. But it is no longer I because of
Jesus Augustine denied himself. He was crucified with Christ and
we must do the same. Jesus says, if we're going to be
his disciples, it's no accident. That in the list of the
qualifications, for The Elder, the bishop, the pastor that we
talked briefly about last night in the qualifications, we find
this idea of self talk to you about in both ways in the
positive and the negative Titus Chapter 1 Verse And 80 says, not
self Wills. But self-controlled.
So easy to read it. So hard to live out there.
In describing self-control says, it's the virtue of one who
Masters his desires and passions of course, self-control is
listed among the fruit of the spirit that demonstrate the true
maturity in the faith that we're all striving for you.
Think about this self-control, this is one of the major themes
that was preached, you know. Paul goes before Felix in Acts
chapter 24 and we just read about three things, three main
points in his sermon. Now, as he reasoned about
righteousness self-control and the judgment to come Felix was
afraid and answered go away for. Now, when I have a convenient
season, I will call for you. No doubt self-control was one of
the issues that was a stumbling block for him.
They are says Self-willed. It's being self policing and
arrogant, Vine says it denotes. One who dominated by
self-interest and in considerate of others arrogantly asserts his
own will. It's the opposite of gentle.
Then he quotes trench one who's so far overvaluing any
determination at which he has himself.
Once arrived at, he will not be removed from, you know what it
means. It means when you come up with
some thought or some idea, you're so set in your ways in
that there's no amount of Truth and reasoning scripture and
Sound Logic that will in that enable you to be moved away from
us. now, this type of self will Behavior.
We can see it in the drug addict.
We can see it in the terrorists in the atheists.
Those who have been blinded by doctrinal error, but we need to
realize That can happen to us. We can be enticed with this just
as well. Again he says if any man come
after me let him deny himself Paul Associates this with a
number of fleshly frailties. the root of disobedience is really a
self-seeking spirit in Romans 2, verse 8, to those who are
self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness,
indignation and Wrath That's how you follow Satan.
Not the Savior self-seeking Colossians 2 verse 23.
He talks about will worship or as the new King James puts.
It self-imposed religion. Strong defines that as worship,
which one prescribes and devises for himself.
Conjuring to the contents of nature of the faith, which he
ought to be directed to Christ. It just like we talked about
last night when we can see what the pattern is.
We can see what the New Testament teaches, but we say,
no, we Art tearing it up. I want to do it my way.
At self First Timothy 2. Verse 9 says that women Adorn
themselves in modest apparel with shamefacedness and
sobriety. That word sobriety is also
translated accurately self-restraint when it comes to
dress the men and the women of the world.
What happens they show? Absolutely.
No self-restraint. God's people can't be like that.
We've got a show, demonstrate, self-restraint, and Matthew 23
verse 25. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees
Hypocrites, for you cleanse, the outside of the cup and dish, but
inside you are full of extortion and It was all about them.
James 316 for where Indian self-seeking exist, confusion
and every evil thing or their second, Peter 2 10.
Those who walk after the flesh are daring and self-willed
itself over and over again, the keeps us from reaching full
maturity consider Jesus own explanation of Self-denial.
And the next verse Matthew. 16 verse 25.
He says, for whoever desires to save his life, will lose it but
whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it in Mark 9.
35, if anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all.
And servant of all what's either saying here, what he's doing.
He's turning the conventional wisdom of that day and of this,
on its head and our competitive World.
Everyone feels like they've got to win, they've got to win in
everything. They've got a win in the
educational realm. They got a win in the
occupational realm. They've got to win in
everything. but Jesus says here, now you can win, you can win as
a Christian by losing Losing all those things that don't really
matter by losing yourself for me.
Let's move on in the verse If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself. Take up his cross.
And follow me. Again, try to imagine what that
was like hearing. If you're one of those who that
was hearing it in the time when yeah, they were putting people
on the cross. They were doing that to hundreds
of people every year, right there in that area.
You mean that's gonna happen to us what Jesus was talking about
here. Of course, was not literal cross
bearing figurative language. He was going to show them the
way in the literal form, but we do have a cross to bear and it
just stands to reason that the more selfless we become, the
more badly will be able to Bear our cross when Jesus Took up the
actual cross beams, that he would later be nailed to.
He was suffering already from pain, from exhaustion,
dehydration from the beating, he taken He could have cancelled
the crucifixion and call for the Angelic rescue.
We sometimes sing about, but he bore the cross, he bore it, and
he bore our sins in a sense. Really?
When you think about it, Jesus bore with Peter, When Peter
denied him three times, how do you endure that?
How do you bear that burden? Jesus bore with Judas when he
betrayed him with a kiss, how do you not retaliate when you're
one of your closest friends? Does something.
So heartless and so cruel. Jesus bore the chief priests he
bore with Heron. He bore with Pilots.
He bore with a soldier's when he was reviled, he was reviled, not
again. As the old song says, he bore
it. All, he bore it.
All that I might live. So much Jesus bear.
The cross alone. Know we all have our crosses to
bear. The question is, am I running?
From those crosses. Or will I take up my cross?
Well, I take up the crosses that Jesus puts in my path.
Martin Luther once aptly said a religion that gives nothing
costs. Nothing and suffers nothing is
worth nothing. But if there's one danger that
we face today as Christians, living in these United States is
we want to live a life, a Christian Life.
We want to call ourselves Christians were not call
ourselves followers of Christ, but we don't have to, we don't
want to have to endure anything. We don't want to have to endure
any discomfort. Don't want to have to endure any
inconveniences for the cause for the kingdom, we want it easy.
And the Christian Life, as easy as it.
As it is in the United States does require some cross bearing
when reaching the preaching of the Cross is foolishness to the
world, First Corinthians 1:18 is because it involves denying self
and bearing burdens Matthew 10:38, he who does not take his
cross. And follow after me, is not
worthy of me. It's a separation separation for
him, the saved in the loss. It's not natural, it's not
something you get excited about. We associate the cross with pain
and suffering, that's part of it.
But when I read take up your cross, I think it's also
something heavy. Think of something inconvenient,
something I'd rather not do Kaufman rights.
The cross is the acceptance for the sake of the will of God of
some burden or burdens otherwise avoidable.
You see, we get to a place. sometimes in the day, sometimes
in the night where there is a choice and something
inconvenient is put in front of us, you know what sometimes
inconvenient Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday night of a gospel
meeting after A Hard Day's Work and really be just a little bit
easier to go home, wouldn't it? And to bring to get the children
ready and come to services. Little less convenience.
We know it's the thing to do. The pay, it'll pay dividends
down the road. After a complicated delivery, in
1962, Rick Hoyt was born with his umbilical cord around his
neck. Oxygen, deprivation left him in
a vegetative state. The doctor suggested
institutionalizing him, but the voids were committed to raising
their son as normally as possible at age. 10 Cutting
Edge, technology allowed Rick to communicate a cursor, would move
across the screen filled with rows of letters.
And when The cursor. Highlighted a letter that Rick
wanted, he would click a switch with just the slightest movement
of his head. He was able to communicate the
first words that he communicated were go Bruins.
He'd been following just as closely as the rest of the
family. The Boston Bruins, who were then
in the Stanley Cup finals, the family didn't know, they didn't
realize. Five years later at age 15 Rick
asked his dad here, he is with this great burden that he had to
carry himself, but he asked his dad, to put him in a wheelchair
for a five-mile benefit run for a local athlete who has recently
paralyzed in an automobile accident, even though Rick's dad
dick was not a long distance Runner.
He agreed. Rick's words.
The sun's words more than made up for their next to last
finish. He said, Dad When we were out
there, I didn't feel like I was handicapped.
At that moment dick the father dedicated his life to pushing
Rick in a wheelchair in Long Distance, runs big then.
Learn how to swim and trained to compete in triathlons.
Imagine this. You know what Triathlon is?
It's a 26 mile. Run on top of that, it's
112-mile bicycle race and above that.
It's a two point. Four mile swim.
How's it going to do that? Well, and then we go on the bike
race. Rick would be rigged to the
front of the bicycle. When it came to the swim, he had
to learn to swim. Dick would tie a rope around his
waist and the entire to a very thin boat behind him and which
he pulled his son, he would swim Over and over.
This became his life. As of June of last year, the
father-son team competed in over 900 races, including 64
marathons and 206 triathlons. You may be wondering.
Yeah. But when we talk about taking my
cross bearing, my cross carrying my cross, is that actually
include carrying others or bearing with others.
Other people. Let's see.
First Corinthians 13, 7, says, charity, or love beareth all
things, believeth, all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things. Well, every man shall bear.
His own burden, according to Galatians 65, in the sense of
everyone must give an account of himself to God.
And though, we should always cast our burdens to the Lord.
Paul also said three verses earlier.
In Galatians 6, verse 2, Bear one another's burdens and so
fulfill the law of Christ. It's quite an endorsement isn't
it? And so fulfill the law of Christ
genuine discipleship taking up. Our cross means that we're
expected to bear. Burdened hearts.
The burden health of others burden, family's burden
finances. 80 Robinson is word picture.
Says of this word, it means to keep on bearing.
Its, when one's load is about to press one down then, give help
and carry, that's what Jesus did.
That's what he wants us to do. So idea of taking up, our cross
must be preceded with a certain amount of selflessness
self-denial because it puts the needs and desires of others
above. My own story, is told of a
preacher, who met a man in his 30s man named Sandy know, Sandy
was combined to a nursing home by a terrible disease called
Ataxia. The Ataxia would have did to
this man. It lets his whole body shaking
uncontrolled the he had no control We're even with
medicine. So severe was his shaking, they
was further combined to either his bed or a wheelchair.
Few people invested enough time in Sandy to learn how to
decipher the mumbled syllables that he struggled to form in a
meaningful sentences but the preacher got to know him and was
eventually able to study with him and communicate with him.
And they had Bible studies and eventually he was converted from
religious error. From the Christian church.
There were challenges though and getting sanity to church.
He wanted to come but the preacher had to lift Sandy into
his vehicle which involve lifting 180-pound man, but also
managing to Corral these unshakable limbs in such a way
that he wouldn't hurt him as he was trying to get him in the
vehicle. Incontinency was a distraction
sometimes for the other folks at church and not everybody seemed
to be real happy that that he was there.
The man passing Sandy, the Lord's Supper would have to
steady the cup for Sandy to minimize the amount of grape
juice that would would spill some people were probably
thinking Don't you just leave that fell at the nursing home?
But preachers, first visit after Sandy's first Sunday to commune
can see hot tears streaming down Sandy's face, as he stuttered
and stammered a little bit more than usual and eventually was
able to get his message across. I never thought I'd be able to
take of the Lord's Supper again. Taking up our cross.
Need lifting other people's burdens means, helping means
looking and listening, and being ready to help others when they
have a need. And that means investing time.
That's what Jesus was talking about Fred Craddock denomination
of preacher said, concerning bearing one another's burdens.
He said Jesus wrote one big check on the cross and when you
write a big check you get noticed of Jesus didn't do that
to get noticed. And Jesus wrote the big check,
but he wrote a whole bunch of little checks.
Awesome. And with you and me.
We'll probably never write the big check when it comes to
denying ourselves and taking up our cross.
We can write those little Jacks and when we do, we're
demonstrating, yes, we are Disciples of Christ.
We can bear one another's burdens sometimes by weeping
with those who weep by praying with those who are in pain by
waking up in the middle of the night, and bringing a brother or
sisters name before the Lord in prayer during the day.
Because we know, They need it. We can listen patiently and
sympathetically as they pour out, their heart, with an
encouraging word, with little, as little as a warm embrace, a
handshake sometimes. Just a smile and a hello.
But sometimes we might neglect, could make all the difference.
And folks, these little things, these little things, these are
God's work. There Jesus in you.
We let our light shine. We do this.
This is following Jesus. I hope we can all look for the
Sandy's around us. The Sandy's in this congregation
or in your congregation look for the burdens to Bear crosses to
carry. If anyone will come after me,
let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.
That's the last of it, follow me. you know, if we're able to
do the first part, Deny yourself.
Just say no. To our our childish, immature
cells, a little bit more. We're able to say, yeah, I'm
going to take up a cross. I'm going to do some things that
come my way that I could say no to I'm going to do those things
for somebody. We do those two things.
You know what? Last part of this.
Will be great, you won't it? All over me.
We can do that. Hope to see meaning that the
study has been helpful for you. Remind you, this is so
fundamental. This is so basic to
Christianity. The idea we're so familiar with
it. But it slips slips from our
mind, slips from our Behavior. This is what being a Christian
is all about. We can't follow him.
Unless we're willing to deny yourself and take up a cross. if
we understand what Jesus meant in Matthew 16:24 and we're not a
Christian, We understand that and we're willing to deny
ourselves and take up our cross and we've heard the Plan of
Salvation. We believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God. Are we going to be hesitant to
say before men, to make that statement?
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, when we be
ashamed or willing to do that, we say no.
I can't turn my back on those friends.
I can't turn my back on my family.
I've got to just keep walking this walk.
No, not if we know what Jesus says, not if we know what Jesus
demands are. Will deny ourselves will take up
that cross will turn our back on religious are.
We'll turn our back on. Our pride will turn our back.
On that worldly lifestyle. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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