We are blessed, each and every one of us. We are here, we breathe, we walk, we talk, we see, we think, and we live. God created man and woman with much thought and love.
God created us to prosper as human beings in a relationship with him. That relationship is exclusive and unconditional.
Many times we fail to prosper in our relationship with God because we lose sight of our mission, take our eyes off of the Savior and focus on ourselves. Many times we forget about Jesus and are consumed with:
• Our Position,
• Our Power,
• Our Possessions,
• Our Prosperity, or
• In today’s society, our popularity on the World Wide Web.
We think we have it all figured out, as we climb to what we perceive as the top.
Luke 22:26 states: “But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
• Jesus says if you want to be a leader you must be a servant!
• If you want to be first, you must be willing to be a slave!
• If you want to be successful; you may have to start at the bottom!
• If you want to be a leader; you must first learn how to serve.
We look past these words, because we ultimately don’t want to start at the bottom, or be subservient to anyone.
But, once we see Christ for who he is, and we taste the sweetness of his love and grace, we won’t see the words of Jesus as some tough demand, placed upon us. We won’t see ourselves as subservient. Instead, we’ll see things as our natural response to his beauty and grace. Oh what joy we’ll find in offering him more and more of ourselves! Our deepest passion will be to prosper in his word! Our deepest desire will be to grow in our knowledge of Christ!
My message today is “A Disciple of Jesus Christ”
As you look at the ministry of Jesus in the gospels you see that he attracted a whole lot of people who surrounded him where ever he went. They wanted to follow him. They thought that his journey to Jerusalem was a victory march for the crowning of the Messiah. And they wanted to be there when he claimed his throne. They wanted to bask in his reflected glory and to grab a share of the prize for themselves.
But Jesus was going to experience sufferings that no one could possibly imagine. So he asked James and John if they were able to go through it too?" - They quickly proclaim "we are able" . But they have no clue what was awaiting their Master.
Matthew 16:21 “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Jesus didn’t want any misunderstanding. There was to be no hidden agenda. He wanted to make it quite clear what was required of anyone who would be his disciple.
Luke 14:26 states: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
No hidden agenda, He was straight forward. These men would have to be true to the cause.
Luke 14:33 states: So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Jesus affirms what it means to become his follower, a member of his army. And no one should join without fully understanding what it demands, and without first considering the cost.
Luke 14:28 states: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
In Peter's mind, and in the mind of many of us, the Messiah is one who comes in strength and power, the one who will defeat the evil powers of the world. In Peter’s mind, the Messiah would be all powerful. And as a follower of Jesus, Peter expects to be part of a glorious battle.
Jesus shared with his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and he let them know that he must undergo great suffering and death. It’s no wonder that Peter cries out, "God forbid it, Lord! This must not happen to you."
Suffering and death was not the future Peter envisioned for the Messiah, and they were not the future he envisioned for himself.
Peter rationalized, if Jesus must go to Jerusalem and face suffering and death, wouldn’t that mean that he (Peter), as one of his disciples, must go and experience the same? Peter was afraid for Jesus' life, but he was certainly afraid for his own life as well.
Mathew 16:22-23 states: “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
From the beginning Jesus is entirely upfront and honest. You were either in or not. You had to follow him completely or not at all. Forsaking your own family, you had to be completely committed to Jesus to be his disciple.
Brothers and sisters, there are a whole lot of people, or groups that may ask you to follow them, but believe me none of them will be as upfront and honest as Jesus. To know the difference, you must study God’s word.
(Now), Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone wants to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, will find it.'
You might be thinking…….. What in the world!!!!!
Mathew 16:24-25 states: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
So, let me try to break it down to our understanding:
When you first consider the statement, the words don’t seem too difficult to understand, but once you read them again, you may get a little confused. You might get a little twisted!
Deny yourselves! Take up your cross! Those who want to save their life will lose it! and those who loose their life for my sake will find it? Oh my Lord…….
So you think; If I’m selfish with my life, I will lose my life, But if I’m generous and give up my life, I’ll gain it. Therefore, I will be generous with my life, because I know that I want to gain it.
Still a bit confused, you may think; either way I have no life! Am I simply being generous for my own gain? Am I simply being generous to save my own neck?
Confused and unlearned in the word, some take this scripture in two different ways.
? Some hear it as a call to live a meager life. They believe they are to deny themselves of joy, and deny themselves of an abundant and full life. By doing this, by having this meager, unhappy, nonabundant life, they believe they are attempting to delay joy, and to delay gratification, until they reach heaven! (think about that for a moment)
This interpretation of the scriptures assumes that the more they deny themselves the comforts of life here and now, the greater their reward will be in heaven. In essence.....No pain,.... no gain! AMEN
? Others may hear the scriptures as a justification, or a reason for the suffering that has already penetrated their life. They assume that when they’re faced with suffering, it must be the cross they are to bear.
This assumption paints a picture of God as a tough ruler who constantly brings you obstacles, and more struggles to bear in your life in order to see how long you can endure them. This interpretation may have led many to enduring hardships for years, hardships that they should never have endured.
Either of these interpretations would’ve led to a person being afraid to live, afraid to love, and afraid to laugh, simply because they believed it was a cross that God had called them to bear. My Lord!
But:
• We don’t know, God only knows.
• Our greatest strength is through Christ Jesus.
• Our abilities are God given abilities.
God has placed us here for a purpose, and he believes in us with all his love.
That’s the word brothers and sisters, love! Out of hate there’s love, out of darkness there’s light, out of suffering there’s strength, out of pain, there’s healing, and out of death there’s life. We may not get everything we hope for, we may not live as kings and queens, but we should consistently use our God given talents for great things. We should consistently prosper in the word.
Mathew 16:26 states: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Because we don’t understand the scriptural meaning of God’s words, we sometimes lose faith and give up. But understanding is an eye opening, heart pumping, mental stimulating, and abounding strength that will enable us to embrace faith.
Let’s think about it for a moment and consider this:
What if the scriptures are not about a call to a life of suffering, not about denying one's self the pleasures in life, in order to someday receive a future joy in heaven?
What if, the scriptures are about a reason for our suffering, and not about a “God” that would deliberately hurt us by giving us different crosses to carry and bear in order to show the commitment and endurance of our faith?
What if, the scriptures are instead about “not” being afraid? Not being afraid of evil, Not being afraid of death. Not being afraid of the suffering that occurs in our lives. The suffering that can sometimes hurt so much and can often feel so much like death.
What if, we understood that the moment we start to fear death, that’s the moment we begin to fear life.
Jesus shows us what it means to live a life filled with immeasurable commitment. Jesus had been proclaimed Messiah but no one really understood what it was that Jesus had come to do.
• Jesus was committed, to go where He was not wanted;
• Jesus was committed, to suffer for a people who rejected Him.
• Jesus was committed, to die for a lost world,
• And, Jesus was committed, to the ultimate victory.
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" And Peter is the one who steps forward and says, “You are the Messiah, The Christ, the son of the living God." Jesus affirms Peter by saying, "Yes, blessed are you, Peter."
Brothers and sisters, I can only ask you to study your bible, and read the words of Peter. His words emit love, an everlasting love. It’s a best seller! It’s a book you shouldn’t want to put down. AMEN
1 Peter 1:8 states: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
This is what is offered to the follower of Jesus Christ. To gain Christ is to know a satisfaction, a delight, a deep contentment that this world knows nothing of. It’s a life lived experience with the promise of an eternal reward.
Jesus is calling us to an all or nothing covenant; He wants all of our life. He wants every aspect of our daily living. He wants every moment that we breathe. He wants to be a part of that life, and he wants us to live, and not fear death.
I say again, the moment we start to fear death, is the moment we start to fear life.
Now, let’s “break things down” with a simple comparison.
We love our children, and we want to protect them from any danger in the world or outside evils. So we sometimes smother them and confine them, by not allowing them to associate with the outside world.
When we do this, they end up having no concept of building relationships, no concept of true friends, or even how to make them.
When we’re so sure that the world is an ugly and evil place, and we should separate ourselves from it, and in essence fear it, we cut off a part of understanding, we cut off a part of sharing, we cut off a part of living.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be careful, because you should, but don’t forget to live and understand.
Let me say again: the moment we start to fear death, is the moment we start to fear life.
Jesus wants us to have life. Jesus places before us.... life….A New Life.....An abundant life….For each of us. AMEN
Yes, Jesus would die, but Jesus would also live.
Jesus began to show his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be resurrected." And on the third day, be raised.
Resurrection..... Jesus ultimate goal ..... was to go to Jerusalem .....to be raised.
Jesus is not going to Jerusalem in search of death ..... Jesus is going to Jerusalem....in search of life. A New life. An Abundant life. A Resurrected life.
Jesus asks us, to take up our cross and follow him, not to death, but to life, a resurrected life.
Brothers and sisters, these scriptures are about not fearing death, and there’re about not fearing those suffering moments in life that can feel so much like death.
We should understand that in life there will be pain. It’s a part of the human experience. Jesus asks his followers, to take up their crosses and follow him into Jerusalem, and he is asking you and me to do the same.
Not because He wants to give us pain and suffering, He already knows we have pain and suffering. He has experienced pain, and he has experienced suffering. Sometimes things in life are about the struggle, but we must trust that he will guide us through, if only we believe.
Pain and Suffering are a part of the human experience. We push through. We get up, dust ourselves off and live another day understanding what has passed. We must also understand and believe that God loves the world. So much, that he gave his only son, so that we might live.
We may also try to deny our purpose. We can try to deny that there aren’t any crosses in this world. Which will lead us into a fear of death, and thus a fear of life? To take up one's cross is to embrace both the pain and suffering of the world and to embrace the hope of discovering life, an abundant life, a resurrected life within it all.
The point that Jesus is making is simple. We cannot save ourselves and we will always need God’s help to make it through this life and to the next. We don’t have the knowledge. We don’t have the ability. We don’t have the strength. We can’t do anything without him.
The whole power of salvation rests on the efforts of Christ and not on the efforts of us. Thank God.
Salvation rests in Christ and there’s nothing that you or I can do to earn it because it’s a gift. There’s no way for us to do it alone and if we try, we will fail in the end.
Mathew 16:27-28 states: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Brothers and sisters, a full life is not one that is absent of suffering, but one that faces suffering with the courage to search for life, within that suffering.
Jesus calls us to seek and bring forth life in the midst of evil, In the midst of death. The path we walk is ours to choose.
But let me say again, the moment we start to fear death, is the moment we start to fear life.
In Closing…..
Brothers and sisters, if you try to save your own life, you will lose it. So, join me and take up the crosses in your life, whatever they may be... Why? Because we all have crosses in our lives.
And as you are carrying your cross, you just might find a person who has a cross just like yours, who has found a way to carry it that makes it a little less painful.
You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. You are a son, a daughter, of the King of kings, and the Lord of Lords. The path to walk is yours to choose.
So, brothers and sisters choose life; choose an abundant, a resurrected life.
Jesus is our example; He gave it all for you and for me.
Jesus says if you want to be a leader you must be a servant, if you want to be first, you must be willing to be a slave!
• If you want to be successful; you may have to start at the bottom.
• If you want to be a leader; you must first learn how to serve.
• If you want to be recognized and respected, then you must learn how to respect others.
The Christian life is a life of service! We are all governed by Jesus Christ! – It’s not our world, it’s HIS KINGDOM!
• We must be willing to give our all without desiring the glory.
• We must be willing to do what no one wants to do but what Christ commands us to do!
• We must be willing to surrender, submit, serve and sacrifice in order to accomplish the Father's will.
Right about now, the cost of all that you are, and all that you will ever be, may sound pretty high! In fact, it may sound almost too high, but it’s the best offer you can ever be given.
• Following Jesus costs you a life that is dying to give you a life that never ends.
• Following Jesus costs you a life of bondage to give you a life of freedom.
• Following Jesus costs you a life that is cursed to give you a life that is blessed.
• Following Jesus allows you to recognize the true prize.
All in all it doesn’t sound like such a bad deal after all, does it?
AMEN
Someone once said “If, then, you are looking for the way by which you should go, take Christ, because He Himself is the way.”
What do we do to be saved?
Hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17)
Believing it (Hebrews 11:6),
Repenting of sin (Acts 17:30),
Confessing Jesus as Christ (Matthew 10:32)
Be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16)
References: The Holy Bible (KJV)
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