Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I stand before you today with a heart full of joy and anticipation. We gather here, in this sacred sanctuary, a place where we are reminded of the enduring love and unending grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We come together, not as strangers, but as a family united under the banner of Christ's love. So let's draw near to God with a sincere heart, fully assured of faith, as we delve into the profound depths of God's word.

In today's sermon, we will be focusing on the 16th chapter of Matthew, verses 24 through 25, where Jesus Himself instructs us on the cost and the reward of following Him. "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.'" (Matthew 16:24-25 NIV)

This passage, my dear friends, is a call to surrender. It's a call to sacrifice. It's a call to put aside our own desires, our own plans, our own dreams, and to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. It's a call to lose our life for Christ's sake so that we might truly find it.

This is a challenging call, isn't it? It's not easy to give up our own desires and plans. It's not easy to carry our cross and follow Jesus. But let's remember the words of the great Christian author, Charles Spurgeon, who once said, "It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." So, let's find our joy in Christ, in following Him, and in surrendering to His will.

Let's begin with a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today, humbled and grateful for your love and grace. We thank you for your Word, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. As we study your Word today, we ask that you open our hearts and minds to understand it. Help us to hear your call to surrender and to respond with a willing heart. Guide us as we strive to follow you, to carry our cross, and to find our life in you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Sacrificing Self for Christ

In the heart of the Gospel message, we find a profound paradox. It's the idea that in order to truly live, we must first die to ourselves. This is not a physical death, but a spiritual one. It's a death to our own desires, our own ambitions, our own plans. It's a death to the self-centered life, and a birth to a Christ-centered life. This is the essence of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The first step in this process is to recognize our own selfishness. We all have a natural tendency to put our own needs and desires above those of others. This is a part of our fallen human nature. But when we come to Christ, He calls us to a different way of living. He calls us to put aside our own selfish desires and to put Him first in everything we do. This is a radical shift in our thinking and our behavior. It's not something we can do on our own. It requires the transforming power of the Holy Spirit working in us.

Next is to make a conscious decision to follow Christ. This is a daily decision. Each day, we must choose to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to follow Jesus. This is not an easy path. It involves suffering, sacrifice, and self-denial. But it's the path that leads to true life. Jesus Himself said, "Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25)

Thirdly is to live out this decision in our daily lives. This involves a radical reorientation of our priorities. Instead of seeking our own comfort, convenience, and pleasure, we seek to please God and to serve others. Instead of living for ourselves, we live for Christ. This is a challenging and demanding way of life, but it's also a deeply rewarding one. As we die to ourselves and live for Christ, we experience a joy and a peace that the world cannot give.

The fourth step in this process is to persevere in this way of life, even when it's difficult. There will be times when we are tempted to revert back to our old ways, to put our own needs and desires first. But we must resist this temptation and continue to follow Christ. We must keep our eyes fixed on Him, remembering His love for us and His sacrifice on the cross. As we do, we will find the strength and the courage to keep going, to keep denying ourselves, to keep taking up our cross, and to keep following Jesus.

Surrendering to the Savior's Will

As we continue to reflect on the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24-25, we find ourselves confronted with the necessity of surrendering to the Savior's will ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO