Turn From Your Selfish Ways

I. EXORDIUM:

Anyone can easily deny CHRIST, but is it also true in denying ourselves?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show denying ourselves is to prepare us for better rewards.

IV. TEXT:

Luke 9:23 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

V. THESIS:

Being a follower of CHRIST is the greatest reward GOD can give to us.

VI. TITLE:

Turn From Your Selfish Ways

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Dr. Luke, Evangelist, Beloved Physician and Paul's companion (Acts 16:10-11)

B. Purpose of writing: To give a genuine and inspired account of the life, miracles and doctrines of our LORD

C. Place of writing: Caesarea

D. Time of writing: A.D. 60-61

E. Audience: Theophilus (“one who loves God”), Gentiles, and people everywhere

—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

F. Occasion and Purpose

To present an accurate account of the life of Christ and to present Christ as the perfect man and Savior

—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Turn from your selfish ways

"Deny himself"

1. Deny came from the Greek word:"aparneomai" meaning to deny utterly, disown, abstain

2. To deny CHRIST means CHRIST will also deny us before His angels, but to deny ourselves is acceptable to GOD.

Luke 12:9 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.

3. If we stay with ourselves, we appear to be selfish or self-centered, if we focus on GOD, we will become GOD-centered.

James 3:16 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

Philippians 2:3 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

If we focus on our sinful nature, we get selfish

Galatians 5:19-20 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,

idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,

B. Take up the cross daily

Daniel 11:35 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.

Matthew 10:24-25 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master.

Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!

1. The LORD JESUS CHRIST is saying is we have to be prepared to deny ourselves and embrace CHRIST if not we cannot prepare to accept insults, scorns for the sake of CHRIST. We can even be called worse names than the name "prince of demons" They do this to us, because we follow CHRIST.

2 Timothy 3:12 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Revelation 13:10 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.

C. Follow CHRIST

1. If you follow LORD JESUS CHRIST, it will always mean insults, suffering and persecution, be prepared to live in it.

1 Peter 2:21 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

2 Timothy 1:13 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 4:14 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.

IX. CONCLUSION:

1 Peter 4:14 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.