Introduction

Good morning church, it’s great to see you all again as we continue in our series ALL-IN. Last week we kicked things off talking about the first of Jesus’ 3 commandments in our main passage from Matthew 16:24. To “deny yourselves” is the first command. And today, we’re going to take it one step further, looking at the second command Jesus gives. This one is tough to wrestle with and even tougher to apply, so I hope you came ready to receive today…Let’s jump right in…

Main Teaching

Jesus gives us a certain picture here in this second command. He says that we are to take up our cross. Now, you may know the story of Jesus well enough to know that soon after this moment, it would be Jesus taking up His cross and carrying it to the place of His own death. The cross was a common and horrific Roman death instrument, one that Jesus willingly died on for the penalty of our sins. If you are looking for Good News today, that’s it! But, does Jesus mean that we are to go find some wood, make it into a cross, and carry it around? No. Jesus is using this statement metaphorically to illustrate some powerful truths. Let’s unpack them together today. Taking up our own cross means…

We Can Expect Pain

STORY: Talk about a time when you had sudden pain come into your life. Make the point that this pain caught you off guard and you weren’t ready for it.

You see, when this pain came into my life, I didn’t know how to handle it because I was so caught off guard ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium

Taking up our “cross”, as Jesus models for us, sometimes will result in loneliness, it will feel as if we are on an island by ourselves. This is the reality of living “Not of this world.”