We are continuing in our consideration of the things that need to be true of us, as the people of God, if we are going to make sure that we "Get In The Game" for God and live lives that count for Christ. We said that we can know we’ve "Got Game" if we: Go for the gold; Aim for excellence; Make the commitment; & Expect God to work.
We have talked about "going for the gold," and how we need to live our lives with "one eye on eternity," living in light of the fact that one day we will give account of ourselves to Christ.
We have talked about "Aiming For Excellence" by seeking to be like Christ in the way we live - seeking to be where Christ is working and joining Him there.
Now today, I want us to think about the need for each of us to "Make The Commitment." Specifically, the commitment Jesus calls on every to make who would follow Him.
Jesus calls on us to make the commitment to deny ourselves and take up our cross. Last week, we made the point that if we are going to be where Jesus is working and join Him in what He is doing, it will require our being willing to deny our selves and make sacrifices. This is a commitment that our Lord calls us to make daily.
"Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.’" - Luke 9:23 (NLT)
What does it mean to daily make the commitment to deny self and take up our cross?
1. It means embracing God’s will - v. 34
The cross was the Father’s will for the life of Jesus. How did Jesus "take up His cross?"
A. By saying "no" to sin -
This is the point of our Lord’s temptation by Satan. In His being tempted, Jesus chose to say "no" to sin, in order to be able to offer Himself as a sinless substitute for us.
B. By saying "no" to self -
"Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, ‘My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?’" - Matthew 26:39 (The Message)
C. By saying "yes" to submission -
"Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him."
- Hebrews 5:8-9 (NLT)
D. By saying "yes" to sacrifice -
"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
- Mark 10:45 (NASB)
Our Savior’s embracing the will of the Father is the theme of a wonderful passage found in Philippians 2:
"Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT)
Our Lord’s embracing of the Father’s will was an expression of His loving the Father with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is what we are also called to do.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." - Mark 12:30 (NIV)
How can I make sure I am embracing God’s will for my life?
Acts 11:1-18 - "Six Secrets To Knowing God’s Will"
#1. Spend time in prayer with God - v. 5
"I was in the city of Joppa praying"
#2. Receive a personal vision from God - v. 5
"I saw a vision"
#3. Look for opportunities given by God - v. 11
"Right then three men who had been sent to me from
Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying."
#4. Listen to the voice of the Spirit of God - v. 12
"The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them."
#5. Enlist advice from men and women of God - v. 12
"These six brothers also went with me"
#6. Consider the testimony of the Word of God - v. 16
"I remembered what the Lord had said"
Remember the quote from George W. Truett that we referred to in the first message of this series?
"True success is knowing God’s will and being in the center of it." - George W. Truett
Now I want us to consider another quote.
"When God gives a command or a vision of truth, it is never a question of what He will do, but what we will do. To be successful in God’s work is to fall in line with His will and to do it His way." - Henrietta Mears
This brings us to a second thought concerning what it means to daily deny ourselves and take up our cross.
2. It means embracing greatness -
When Jesus speaks here about losing one’s soul, the idea is not an emphasis on one’s eternal destiny as much as on the quality of the life one lives here and now.
The message captures this meaning well:
"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?" - Mark 8:34-37 (The Message)
You see, the only real way to "find oneself" is to follow Christ. This is spiritual growth - discovering who you are truly created to be in Christ.
"But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves." - John 1:12 (The Message)
"God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children." - Romans 8:16 (The Message)
One of the things that we learn about ourselves as we grow in Christ through following Him is that He has destined us for greatness. Just as the Father has exalted Christ, He wants to exalt His children by enabling us to live lives of greatness. But the key to living a great life is through denying ourselves and taking up our cross.
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."
- 1 Peter 5:6 (KJV)
"The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." - Matthew 23:11-12 (NIV)
"Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself (that is, who God made you to be), your life will count for plenty." - Matthew 23:11-12 (The Message)
Conclusion: The challenge of paying off this debt is a God-given opportunity for each of us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. It is an opportunity to embrace God’s will. It is an opportunity for us to embrace greatness. But remember what Henrietta Mears said, "When God gives a command or a vision of truth, it is never a question of what He will do, but what we will do."
What will you do?
