1 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,360 And Jesus told his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let 2 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,640 him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,560 For whoever would save his life will lose it. 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,160 But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,360 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and 6 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,400 forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in 7 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,800 return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to 8 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,440 come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he 9 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,760 shall repay each person according to what is he has 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,520 done. And this is the word of the 11 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,160 Lord. Let's pray together. 12 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:48,520 Gracious Lord, grant to us ears to hear, eyes to see, hearts 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,240 that are open to change, to be shaped and molded more and more 14 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,120 into Your image. Make it so, Lord, for we want to 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,800 give everything for your glory and praise. 16 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,680 We ask through Christ our Lord, we pray, Amen. 17 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,200 Please be seated and if you would grab your Bibles, turn to 18 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,040 Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16. 19 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:15,080 If you're following the service well today, you will see how 20 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,080 wonderfully well the Lord and the staff in which I work with 21 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,480 have woven together this passage of Scripture with everything 22 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,920 which we have done so far in worship today and with the way 23 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,240 in which we are expecting the Lord will be honored and pleased 24 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,560 by what we do. If you were with us last week, 25 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,360 you know that we talked a little bit about discipleship in 26 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:35,760 particular. What does it mean to be a 27 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,040 disciple of the Lord? It means following after the 28 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:39,560 Lord. In particular. 29 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,560 We use the concept or the idea of that old phrase that may you 30 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,000 be covered in the dust of your rabbi and otherwise way we 31 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,840 follow after Jesus Christ so closely and intimately that we 32 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,840 are covered in His dust. That is, that we are walking so 33 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,880 closely to Christ that as he was walking along the dusty Rd. that 34 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,960 dust is coming up and covering us. 35 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,520 I have occasionally, the passengers in my car have 36 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,640 occasionally complained that I drive too close to the person in 37 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,160 front of me. I frankly have never paid much 38 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:13,120 attention to that until one day I'm driving along on the highway 39 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,160 and it's a beautiful bright blue sky day. 40 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,400 Everything is glorious and marvelous outside, and we're 41 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:20,120 commenting on how beautiful it is. 42 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:23,120 And suddenly there's a mist that keeps hitting the windows. 43 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,680 And I'm looking around. Both of us would look and say, 44 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,720 hey, there's no clouds in the sky. 45 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:29,120 I wonder where that mist is coming. 46 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,000 You know, I'm surprised that there's a mist in here. 47 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,320 And then I realized the car in front of me is washing those 48 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,640 windows, spraying and hitting the windows. 49 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:38,680 And every time he wipes the windows, the spray falls back on 50 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,280 my car because I was following a little bit too closely. 51 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:46,600 That's the idea, to be covered in the dust, to be showered by 52 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,480 the evidence that you are walking closely with the person 53 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:55,280 that you are following. Now, I made the point last last 54 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,440 week, yesterday, last week, Yep, made the point last week that 55 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,720 every Christian, it's called to be a disciple. 56 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,160 It's not a special task. It's not a special calling that 57 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,120 first we have the Christian that is saved and follows Jesus 58 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,000 Christ as Lord and Savior and then you become a disciple 59 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,960 somewhere further down the line. No, being a Christian is being a 60 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,480 disciple. One thing that we didn't talk 61 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,720 about that I could have and should have is that everybody is 62 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,800 following somebody. You are being covered in some 63 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,160 dust of somebody. It might be the dust of your own 64 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,240 making. It could be the dust of another 65 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:34,680 part of the world. It could be Satan's dust. 66 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,800 Everybody in this world is following somebody. 67 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,640 And what we want to do is make sure that we are following after 68 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,520 the Lord Jesus Christ, that we are faithful disciple of His. 69 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,560 So we talked a lot about that. We didn't necessarily talk about 70 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,280 what we're going to look at today, which is the cost of 71 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,920 being a disciple. What is the cost of being a 72 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,440 disciple? Now it is a fundamental truth of 73 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:03,160 the gospel message that our salvation is a free gift of the 74 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,040 Lord Jesus Christ, That nothing we do, nothing we can possibly 75 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,360 do would earn us any piece of the salvation that the Lord 76 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,400 gives us. That that is a pure blessing 77 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,640 upon his, upon his gift to us. And anytime we think that we 78 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,040 have to do something in order to merit His salvation, we have 79 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,960 missed the whole point that indeed we place ourselves 80 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,080 outside the gospel message. The gospel is free. 81 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:31,160 It is a blessed gift that is given to us, but it will cost 82 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:35,760 you everything. The song we just sang today, 83 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:42,200 Lord, take everything. That is the cry of every 84 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,320 disciple. That is what it means to be a 85 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,160 disciple. And that couldn't be expressed 86 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:53,640 more clearly than in the text in which we read today, verse 24. 87 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:58,560 Jesus told his disciples. Jesus told his disciples about 88 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,840 the cost of discipleship. He gathers his disciples 89 00:05:01,840 --> 00:05:03,400 together and one of the other gospels. 90 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,040 This story is recounted by all three of the synoptic gospel 91 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:08,400 writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 92 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:11,080 And all three of them recounted the story. 93 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:15,920 Luke includes the fact that there is a crowd that is present 94 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,000 there as well, but Jesus calls his disciples together and tells 95 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,960 them about the cost of being a disciple. 96 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:25,440 But I want you to note this, that this event takes place 1 or 97 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,080 even 2 years into Jesus's ministry. 98 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:32,040 These disciples have already been following him for one to 99 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,440 two years, and yet he still feels it's necessary to tell 100 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,200 them, to remind them of what the cost is. 101 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,960 I take that to be incredibly instructive for each of us. 102 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:49,600 Every day you must wake up and remind yourself of the cost of 103 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,640 following Jesus Christ. Every day, no matter how long 104 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:55,840 you've been a believer, No longer how long you have 105 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,040 followed Jesus Christ, No longer how long you how intimately you 106 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,600 were connected to church. I am telling you, every day you 107 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,840 need to call. Remind yourself again of the 108 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:06,520 cost of the following Jesus Christ. 109 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,640 This is a passage that is easy to memorize and you should 110 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:13,280 memorize it. Deny myself, take up my cross 111 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,840 and follow after Him every day. Why? 112 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:18,280 Because it is so easy to slide backwards. 113 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:20,840 It is so easy not to do those things. 114 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,840 Yes, even for followers that have been following Jesus Christ 115 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,960 for long periods of time, as I know many of you have. 116 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,200 Don't fool yourself into becoming complacent at this 117 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,160 point. Ask yourself every single day. 118 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,800 Don't miss that opportunity. It's right there in the text. 119 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:38,840 Jesus called his disciples. He called those of us who are 120 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:42,960 already following him. He calls us every day and says, 121 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,920 Let me remind you again of what you are doing here. 122 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,440 What are we doing here? We're doing 3 different things. 123 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,960 Jesus called his disciples. If anyone would come after me, 124 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,240 let him. Anybody would follow after 125 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:57,120 Jesus. Anybody would be his disciple. 126 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:02,840 Let him deny himself. Take up his cross and follow me. 127 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,320 Deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. 128 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,720 OK, Deny yourself. On one level that sounds really 129 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,880 easy. It it means put off the evil 130 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,720 thoughts in your minds. Don't follow after evil 131 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,080 thoughts, don't follow after evil desires. 132 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,760 Deny yourself. Those kind of things we all kind 133 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,120 of realize whenever I want to lash out at somebody or when I 134 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,920 want to gossip about somebody or when I want to act 135 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,840 inappropriately in certain ways, deny those desires, deny those 136 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,880 things so that I can be a follower of Jesus Christ. 137 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,760 This text means so much more than that. 138 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,440 To deny yourself. Here is an unqualified comment. 139 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,240 One commentator says that there's a tent that the way in 140 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,960 which the passage is phrased is there's a perfected sense to it. 141 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,280 In other words, not just deny yourself, but utterly, 142 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:59,400 completely, totally deny yourself when we realize how how 143 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:04,720 much of our lives is centered around us, around you? 144 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,760 How much of your life is centered around the pursuit of 145 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,440 youth, pursuing your own interests, your job, your 146 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,800 family, your, your, your involvement in the church? 147 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:21,080 Everything in which we do is centered around us. 148 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:26,280 And what Jesus is saying here is that the core concept of what it 149 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:32,360 means is to deny yourself. And Please note this, Jesus 150 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:37,120 doesn't say readjust yourself so that you're more in line with 151 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:39,880 Jesus. He doesn't say be ready to deny 152 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,480 yourself when those evil thoughts come up. 153 00:08:42,919 --> 00:08:47,520 He doesn't say to practice faithfully whenever you need to 154 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,200 deny yourself. What he says is that command 155 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:52,840 that is listed upon every one of us. 156 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:58,040 Deny yourself. I have an outsized memory in my 157 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,360 mind, which is an outsize. It's an outsize because I 158 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,040 suspect that it wasn't as big a deal when I was living this 159 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,240 experience as it is and stuck in my head. 160 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,800 I was a young kid. My dad took us to Disney World. 161 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:12,960 We were walking into Disney World. 162 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,480 I, you know, picture me as 10 years old or something along 163 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,240 those lines. And mom and dad have a, my 164 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,280 sister and brother in hand. And my mother says, now follow 165 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:23,040 along closely so you don't get lost. 166 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,240 You know, stick with us. And so we're walking through 167 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,560 Disney and there's the packed walkway there early on, and 168 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:31,440 there's everybody's there. And I look off to my side and 169 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,880 they're giving away free fudge that is shaped in the image of 170 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:40,160 Mickey Mouse, and it's free fudge and it's Mickey Mouse 171 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:41,960 shape. And I look and I'm walking 172 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,960 closely to mom and I look over and I see the free fudge and I 173 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:46,880 see Mom. Why? 174 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,480 Mom's walking in this direction and there's the free fudge. 175 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,560 And so I take a couple steps and I look over my shoulder. 176 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:55,000 Mom's still moving that way. I take a little more. 177 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:57,160 Mom's still moving that way. I take a little bit more. 178 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,760 I get all the way to the fudge and I look over my shoulder and 179 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,160 Mom's still moving in that direction. 180 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,440 I grab the fudge. I run up to Mom. 181 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:05,880 I grab her hands and I say, Mom, I got free fudge. 182 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,360 Why not? Because it's free and it's fudge 183 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:09,880 and it's shaped in like Mickey Mouse. 184 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:11,600 Say Mom, I got free fudge, just Mickey Mouse. 185 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:15,200 And I hear, Oh dear, I'm not your mother. 186 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,120 Total panic, total panic. I wet myself. 187 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:21,600 It was just a tremendous experience. 188 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:24,920 Now, just to clarify, I looked next door and there was my mom. 189 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,440 I said thank you lady, and I go ahead and grab mom saying and 190 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:31,160 stuff like mom never is. But if you're going to follow in 191 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:35,600 someone's footsteps to deny yourself means what? 192 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,440 Is there anything wrong with free fudge shaped in Mickey 193 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:40,080 Mouse's? Of course not. 194 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:47,360 But that's not where my disciple was moving that to deny myself 195 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:51,400 means to deny that, to say that's not what I am after, but 196 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,560 rather to pursue whatever my disciple is pursuing. 197 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,000 That's what is important to me. That's what is in crucial to my 198 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,960 life is not to pursue what I'm interested in. 199 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,920 To deny myself means to turn away from all of the desires 200 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,560 that anchor themselves in my heart and in my desire. 201 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:11,800 Now, the reality is that most of us don't think of ourselves as 202 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,960 that bad that we have to deny ourselves. 203 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:18,000 Oh, sometimes we got to readjust. 204 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,720 Sometimes we've got to fix some things. 205 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:22,760 We've got to tweak some stuff here and there. 206 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,240 My guess is that nobody in this room thinks they're perfect. 207 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:29,400 If you do, come talk to me. You know, no, everybody realizes 208 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,480 that we got to tweak some stuff, but we don't realize that that's 209 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,760 not what the Bible says about you. 210 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:42,160 The Bible describes what a war that is going on between the old 211 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:48,000 self, that who you were, and the new self that is now present 212 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,640 because of the indwelling of Jesus Christ in your heart, your 213 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,440 union with Jesus Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit 214 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:58,760 that has made you a new person. And therefore the old self 215 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:02,800 continues to war against that and continues to try to assert 216 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,520 dominance. And what we have to do is not 217 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,720 placate it, not to tackle it when it raises his head, not to 218 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,200 try to tamper it and to keep it under control. 219 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,040 We need to deny it. We have to turn our backs to it. 220 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:21,280 We have to insist, no, I am only going to follow my Savior. 221 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:25,720 I'm only going to follow. This should be easy for you to 222 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:30,680 ask yourself, how often do I deny myself? 223 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:33,400 How often do I sit there and say, you know what? 224 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,120 This is not the direction Jesus is going. 225 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,200 I'm not. My guess is you never think like 226 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,320 that. I don't think like that. 227 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,640 But how can we possibly respond to that call, that essential 228 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:51,360 call of Jesus Christ, that to be his follower, to come after him, 229 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,840 means to deny yourself. It doesn't mean to deny yourself 230 00:12:55,840 --> 00:13:01,280 only when the big things happen. It means to deny yourself, to 231 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,600 turn away because you were at war. 232 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,040 That self is at war. How do you know? 233 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:11,640 Because frankly, I have lots of desires. 234 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,200 I have the desire to come to church. 235 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,720 I have the desire to see God's glory spread throughout this 236 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,720 world. I have the desire for you to 237 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,920 know the Lord better. Not every desire is evil. 238 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,920 How do you know? Because you're following the 239 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:31,320 Lord Jesus Christ. When do I deny myself? 240 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,360 When my eyes are not on Him. How do we know if your eyes are 241 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,480 on Him? This is the purpose of the 242 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:39,440 Scriptures. The Scripture reveals Jesus 243 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,680 Christ to us. This is why we talk so 244 00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:44,440 essentially about the Scripture and why we're begging you to. 245 00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:47,160 This is perfect for today. Look around you. 246 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:49,360 Look at all the people that were standing in front of you. 247 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:52,560 All of them are committed to one thing that you would know, the 248 00:13:52,560 --> 00:13:55,880 Scriptures, because that's where you see Jesus Christ. 249 00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:00,800 That's where you know what is His will, so that you can learn 250 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,720 to deny yourself. Deny yourself. 251 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:06,160 Take up your cross and follow me. 252 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,600 Take up your cross. Now. 253 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:13,160 For Christians on this side of the crucifixion, most of us have 254 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:15,960 a sense of what that means. That's where our Savior was 255 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,040 suffered and died. That's where the sacrifice of 256 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,280 our Lord took place. And most of us have a 257 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:25,240 sympathetic yearning for the cross represents everything that 258 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:29,040 is glorious about our salvation, that our debt has been paid upon 259 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,280 the cross of Jesus Christ and salvation has been earned. 260 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,920 We have a A a nice feeling about the cross. 261 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:40,760 Realize that this happened 2 years, a year or so before 262 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,920 Christ went to the cross. What did the cross mean to the 263 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,440 disciples who first heard it? They weren't thinking about 264 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,600 Christ dying on the cross. They were thinking of what 265 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,080 everybody in the Roman Empire knew what taking your cross 266 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:55,760 meant. The convicted criminal would 267 00:14:55,760 --> 00:15:00,040 have to carry that cross beam from the point of his conviction 268 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,400 to the point of his execution. And he would have to carry it 269 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,720 through a mob of people who are howling at him, who are 270 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,480 denouncing every step along the way that we're declaring him to 271 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:14,480 be this horrible fallen person, this wicked individual. 272 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,240 And they were screaming at him across the bar. 273 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:21,640 When Jesus says to take up the cross and follow after him, he's 274 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:27,680 saying take up the cross. Embrace the rejection of this 275 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:31,880 world. We have a sympathetic thought 276 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,440 about somebody suffering on the cross and how terrible would 277 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:36,640 that would be? That is shaped and molded 278 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,160 completely by our experience with Jesus Christ. 279 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:44,640 Indeed, the world then recognized the cross is nothing 280 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:49,640 but a picture of a rejection of the of the person that would be 281 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,880 carrying that cross. The whole community would come 282 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:55,040 out and denounce that individual. 283 00:15:55,280 --> 00:16:00,080 Jesus is saying, if you want to be on my team, put yourself in a 284 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,680 position where the whole world rejects you. 285 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:07,400 Not might reject you, but does reject you. 286 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:11,360 Not be willing to carry your cross, but actually carry the 287 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:15,120 cross and place yourself in a position of being completely 288 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:20,800 rejected by this world. Now this should be easy for you. 289 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:27,240 How often does your faith lead you to purposefully put yourself 290 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,040 in a position where you are rejected by the world? 291 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:34,080 You don't have to be a people pleaser to know how desperately 292 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:39,600 we are about attaining people's approval and desiring to fit in. 293 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:41,480 It's why we wear the clothes we wear. 294 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,320 It's why we live the way we live. 295 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:44,800 It's why we talk the way we talk. 296 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,600 So much of our life is shaped by the world around us, not 297 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,880 necessarily for the bad. But if we're unwilling to be 298 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:56,120 rejected of all of those things, then we have not yet taken up 299 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,000 the cross. Take up the cross. 300 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,120 The cross was an element, a picture of great shame, so 301 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,400 rejection of the world and then incredible shame. 302 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,119 We have to recognize that the person that would be crucified 303 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:14,079 would be stripped naked, perhaps a loincloth, but otherwise 304 00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:16,760 stripped completely naked, denounced by the whole 305 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,960 community, stuck before the whole world to see in everything 306 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:22,880 their terror and their suffering. 307 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:25,800 It would be a hugely shameful position. 308 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:29,440 When Jesus says take up your cross, he's saying put yourself 309 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:34,120 in a position where you are shamed, where you are shamed 310 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:41,120 continually by the world. I don't know anybody that 311 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:46,240 consistently acts in ways that makes them shamed by the world, 312 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:50,440 but that's exactly what it means to carry your cross. 313 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:55,440 Carry your cross so that you can experience that shame and the 314 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,800 great suffering of the cross. The cross was a horrific way to 315 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:01,320 die. All you do is got to study a 316 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,640 little bit about this and you realize how terrible it was. 317 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,200 When Jesus says pick up your cross, he's saying put yourself 318 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,920 in the position of great and immense suffering. 319 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:16,600 How many of us to follow after Jesus put ourselves consistently 320 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:18,320 in a position of great suffering? 321 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:22,520 Look, this isn't hard. Look at your life. 322 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,360 How often have I made a decision for the Lord that has involved 323 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,560 great suffering, great suffering. 324 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:38,040 Finally, take take up the cross only ended in one result, 325 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:42,280 consistently ended in one result, your death. 326 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:47,840 It was a position of great danger and suffering and shame 327 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,960 and rejection of the world that led to death. 328 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,360 And Jesus says, take up your cross to follow me. 329 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:02,240 He's implying nothing more than that you are going to your 330 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,680 death. I take every step in my life, 331 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:11,040 active steps in my life, to avoid that very scenario. 332 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,000 And here Jesus is saying this is exactly what you're supposed to 333 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:15,600 do. Recognize, by the way, how these 334 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,600 things fit together. Deny yourself and take up your 335 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,520 cross. For if you take up the cross of 336 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,760 the rejection of this world, you are denying yourself. 337 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,800 It's acceptance. You're denying it yourself. 338 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:34,280 It it's approval. It's it's pleasure, it's joy. 339 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,960 How many of us actively do that? You don't have to be a people 340 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:45,240 pleaser to realize that nobody who who actively seeks rejection 341 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:49,400 from this world. To take up the cross of shame 342 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:55,920 means that you are intentionally denying the glory that you would 343 00:19:55,920 --> 00:20:00,080 have, the praise of people, the adoration, the approval of other 344 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,840 people. Instead, you are embracing a 345 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,440 life of shame. To take up the cross of 346 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:10,000 suffering means that you are giving up. 347 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,160 You are denying yourself a life of comfort. 348 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,040 How many of us are willing to do that? 349 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:22,320 Take up the cross that leads to death means that you are giving 350 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:27,480 up the pursuit of safety. Safety is so dominant in our 351 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:33,120 lives, and yet the cross insists that we take up the cross and 352 00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:36,200 become Christ insists that we take up the cross, the very 353 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,280 antithesis of all of these things. 354 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:42,240 Who here is living that life? Christ calls. 355 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:46,400 Everyone of you to be his disciple, yes, to glory in the 356 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,560 benefits of our redemption. But realize that it's going to 357 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,600 cost you everything. It's going to cost you the 358 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,160 approval of this world. It's going to cost you it's a 359 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,840 shit your glory. It's going to cost you your 360 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,880 comfort. It's going to cost you your 361 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:04,320 safety. Take up your cross, deny 362 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:08,440 yourself and follow me. I like the way that Mark phrases 363 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,400 this. Mark phrases it this way. 364 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,720 He says if anybody would follow Jesus says if anyone would 365 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,000 follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. 366 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,720 If anyone would follow me, follow me. 367 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:26,080 And I picture what I, my dad did to me, what I'm sure I did to my 368 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:31,080 kids, Jesus grabbing my head, saying, Henry, if you're going 369 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:36,480 to follow me, then follow me. Follow me. 370 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:41,360 Where's he going? I got to know where he's going. 371 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:46,160 If I'm going to follow him, does he follow me in the comforts of 372 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:48,720 my life and the desires of my look? 373 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,400 We have the reality, the theological reality, that 374 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,560 wherever I am, Jesus is there with me. 375 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,600 It's one of the fundamental truths of the gospel messages, a 376 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:00,880 beautiful thing that I can never separate, be separated from my 377 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,880 Lord Jesus Christ. Wherever I go, that's where he 378 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:05,560 is. That's not what he's saying 379 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,560 here. This text says not that I'm 380 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:10,160 going to be with you wherever you go. 381 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:14,800 His this text says, make sure you're going where I am going. 382 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:21,120 Where is Jesus going? He's going to the suffering. 383 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,120 He's going to those points of sadness. 384 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,920 He's going to those places of sorrow. 385 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:34,440 He's going to those places of brokenness and of evil and of 386 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:37,520 wickedness. That's where our Lord is going. 387 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,920 We know that because that's how He came to me. 388 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:42,520 That's how he came. To you. 389 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,120 This text says if. You're going to follow Jesus 390 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:49,800 Christ, then follow Him. How do you know where He's 391 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:51,960 going? We see it in the Word. 392 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,640 And what does a Word teach us? The Word teaches us that we 393 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:01,360 follow after Jesus where He is going to the most sorrowful, 394 00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:05,280 broken, wounded places of this world. 395 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:07,720 That's where we're supposed to be. 396 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,760 If Jesus were here in this world today, where would he go? 397 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,080 That's where we need. To be. 398 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,840 What a. Recruiting toll. 399 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:24,000 This was for Jesus, you know? Can you imagine this? 400 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,560 Hey, come join my team. You get to deny yourself, all of 401 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,600 you, everything you want. You get to take up your cross 402 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:34,480 experience suffering, shame and lack of everything you blessed 403 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,280 with. And you get to go with me into 404 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:38,240 all the most miserable places in this world. 405 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:44,520 Come join my team, OK? Luckily, blessedly, God does add 406 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,040 motivation. He tells us the incentives for 407 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:49,640 what it means to follow after Him. 408 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,880 Because immediately following verse 24 is 252627 where each 409 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,920 one of those verses starts with the word for and you get 3 410 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,000 reasons, 3 motivations, 3 incentives. 411 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,520 First one is this verse 25. For whoever would save his life 412 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,520 will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find 413 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,120 it. OK, now this sounds a little bit 414 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:12,640 like nonsense. If you will lose your, if you 415 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,400 find your light, if you save your life, you lose it. 416 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:16,840 If you lose your life, you find it. 417 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:18,520 So you know, what do you kind of do this? 418 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:20,640 This is what I call the watermelon principle. 419 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,240 My mother used to always serve as watermelon and the seeds, you 420 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,560 know how those things are slippery and stuff like that, 421 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,840 and you put them in. So as soon as she we'd have the 422 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,720 watermelon, Ted and I, my brother and I would dig around, 423 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:33,720 find all the seeds and then shoot them across the table at 424 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:35,680 each other, you know, squeeze them really hard. 425 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:37,960 The harder you squeeze them, the quicker they fly out of your 426 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:39,600 hand. We try to get them stuck in my 427 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,960 sister's hair. That was always a victory, you 428 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:43,480 know. So you squeeze them really hard, 429 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,480 you squeeze, you spin them out and that kind of stuff. 430 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,040 If you squeeze really hard to hold on to your life, you will 431 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:50,880 lose it. But. 432 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,480 If you lose your. Life, you will find it. 433 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:55,960 It sounds like complete nonsense. 434 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,840 Until you realize. The caveat that I skipped over 435 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:06,400 in verse 25 if you lose your life for my sake. 436 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:09,640 You will find it. Find it. 437 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:10,600 What's the IT? There? 438 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:16,560 It is life. The first incentive to deny 439 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:21,240 yourself, to take up that cross, to follow Jesus, is that we will 440 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,200 find life. What is life in the Scriptures? 441 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:27,560 It is the abundant outpouring of the fulfillment of everything 442 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:29,960 that God intended for you. What's your purpose? 443 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:32,320 What's your goal? What's your life plan? 444 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,120 Everything that the Lord has laid out for you, that is life. 445 00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:37,200 It is an abundant. It is filled with joy. 446 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,040 It is filled with satisfaction. It is filled with devotion and 447 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,600 love and blessedness. That's what life really is. 448 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:49,080 That's what you experience when you deny yourself, when you take 449 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,080 up the cross, when you follow after Jesus. 450 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:54,880 I'm going to go a little bit long here because the second 451 00:25:55,240 --> 00:26:00,400 four, statement 4, is simply that it's an accounting 452 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,480 principle. It's kind of this idea. 453 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:06,880 Imagine a major scale. This is in verse 2726. 454 00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:10,240 For what shall profit a man if he gains the whole world and 455 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:13,240 forfeits his soul? So imagine a big scale here. 456 00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:16,280 If you put on the scale everything of this world and 457 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,000 don't picture a little blue marble and say you know the 458 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,520 world on this side and your soul on this side. 459 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,320 How do they balance out here? You have to picture what Jesus 460 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:27,600 says is imagine everything of this world, all of your 461 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:34,360 pleasure, all of your joys, all of your satisfaction, all 462 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:37,360 treasure, everything you could possibly want, every 463 00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:40,360 satisfaction you could ever want, every approval you could 464 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:43,400 ever seek, everything good that you could ever have. 465 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:47,800 Imagine that on this side of the scale and put it on this side, 466 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:52,200 your eternal soul. It's it's. 467 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:54,480 Jesus doesn't even have to spell it out. 468 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,360 It's self-evident that nothing compares. 469 00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:03,120 You can't give anything compares to the value of your eternal 470 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:05,360 soul. And so Jesus says yes, deny 471 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:07,560 yourself, take up your cross. You know why? 472 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,480 Because on this side of the scale is your eternal life. 473 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:14,680 It is your soul and nothing will ever tip the balance like that. 474 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,840 And finally in verse 27, for the Son of Man is going to come with 475 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,280 the angels in glory as of his Father, and then he will repay 476 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:25,920 each person according to what he has done. 477 00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:29,840 The final motivation, the final incentive that he gives to 478 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:33,400 everybody in this room to take seriously the call to deny 479 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:37,560 yourself, to figure out, to ask yourself not to be, not to take 480 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:39,560 it lightly, but to say, God, tell me. 481 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,640 Show me how it is that I don't deny myself. 482 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:46,440 Show me where that old self keeps popping up and insisting 483 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:50,000 on being present. Show me what it is so I can deny 484 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,920 it. Show me that, Lord, where the 485 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:56,760 cross is. Show me where I need to embrace 486 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,200 the rejection of this world. Show me where I have to 487 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,400 anticipate the suffering and the shame of this world. 488 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,680 Show me where I have to embrace the dangers of following after 489 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,920 you, Lord Jesus Christ. We have to go in and ask all of 490 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:10,040 those questions. Why? 491 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:14,840 Jesus says, here's the greatest reason, because I am coming in 492 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:18,800 my glory. I am coming in my glory. 493 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,800 And so till will all those who fall all after me, we are 494 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,000 following after Jesus where's he's going? 495 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:32,840 He's coming here and he's coming here in glory now. 496 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:37,680 If this text doesn't. Challenge you? 497 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,640 You're not paying any. Attention, this check text 498 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,880 doesn't challenge you. Don't try to make it challenge 499 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:46,640 you. Come up and talk to me about the 500 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:50,200 fundamentals of the gospel of Jesus Christ because you're 501 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,720 missing the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. 502 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,400 You're missing his sacrifice for you. 503 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,960 If you haven't embraced the blessedness of your salvation, 504 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:02,080 and if you have, then there is no other recourse but to become 505 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,240 a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. 506 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:09,320 And to be a disciple is to confront every day your old 507 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:13,680 self, that self that rises up, that nudges you in other 508 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:18,480 directions, that takes your eyes off of Jesus Christ, pick up 509 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,320 that cross and to follow after him. 510 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:26,040 If you're like me and you desperately want to keep your 511 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,320 eyes on Jesus. Get in a Bible. 512 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:32,200 Study. If you're worried. 513 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:35,320 About your time, if you're worried about your comfort 514 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,840 level, if you're worried about your that's all yourself. 515 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:43,520 Deny all those things. Get in the study so you can be 516 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,920 exposed to who Jesus Christ is, so you can follow Him 517 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:51,920 faithfully, giving completely of yourself all that you have. 518 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:56,680 If you feel like. Me you feel like there's a need 519 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:02,120 right now to communicate to the Lord and to say, God show me 520 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,600 what I need to see. Memorize this. 521 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,080 Text and let's go before the Lord. 522 00:30:13,890 --> 00:30:17,890 Lord. Jesus, show me what it means. 523 00:30:19,770 --> 00:30:21,810 That I need to. Deny myself. 524 00:30:23,290 --> 00:30:25,730 Show us what it. Means that we need to deny 525 00:30:25,730 --> 00:30:28,560 ourselves. Show Hebburn Church what it 526 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:31,360 means that we need to deny ourselves. 527 00:30:40,780 --> 00:30:46,460 Lord Jesus, show us what it means to pick up the cross. 528 00:30:47,740 --> 00:30:50,220 Show us. What it means to embrace the 529 00:30:50,220 --> 00:30:53,700 rejection of this world to. Embrace. 530 00:30:53,980 --> 00:30:59,220 The shame of the cross to embrace the suffering of 531 00:30:59,220 --> 00:31:02,640 following after you. To embrace the. 532 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:07,440 Danger of turning our back on the safety of this world and 533 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,200 embrace the safety of our souls which are locked in your 534 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:15,120 embrace. Lord teach us. 535 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:18,360 Show us through Christ our Lord, we pray. 536 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:20,200 Amen.