Me Too

I do not remember too much about being four, but I remember the day I decided to follow Jesus. The rest has been a walk. It’s been quite a varied journey, and not always as I’d have imagined or liked. But he is good. I didn’t know entirely what it meant then, and I still don’t. But I want too.

My family is incredible. I’ve been very blessed. When I was little my parents were in full time ministry, my dad was a pastor and my mom was his right hand and a full time mom. We didn’t have a lot, be we always had enough. I have an older sister and two younger brothers. We are extremely close.

Two Brothers

Lee is my brother closest in age to me. When we were little he would always copy me and I found it extremely irritating. Mom would tell me, “Imitation is the highest form of flattery.” I would just role me eyes and hold on to my anger. I wasn’t a very good christian yet.

When we were little we would take baths together. I was 5 and he was 3. Whatever the age, I’m two years older, a fact that always seemed pretty important at the time.

I would always sit closest to the faucets too, because that was the power spot. I would have control over the flow of water, and would be first to feel the fresh warmth out of the tap, before benevolently circulating it to my brother. It was good to be king.

We were playing at being sea monsters and my brother asked me to describe what kind of monster I was.

I saw through him immediately and refused to share. “If I tell you, you’ll just copy me.”

“No, no I won’t!” He said. “Come on, how are we supposed to play if I can’t imagine what you are?”

Logic. He was very eloquent at 3. So I relented.

I began to expound on what I looked like, how my shape and scales would cut through the water, the epitome of sleek-elegance. How my camouflage would shift my colouring to best match the waters or even corals around me. I explained explicitly my abilities and preferred method for destroying an unwary ship and then how I’d devour the crew at my leisure. I even gave him a back story on where I came from. As my narrative came to a close he sat silently, head down deep in thought.

Then slowly he raised his head and looked me in the eyes with his own baby blues radiating excitement, and he said, “Me too!!”

“No, no!!! I knew you’d copy me!”

“But Adam, it’ll be so cool! We could be brothers!!!”

I was so angry, I don’t think we played that day. Now, he’s married the woman of his dreams, both are successful in their careers, and I’m very proud to announce they have twins on the way. Their due in February. Adulting - they’re killing it. The student has become the master.

I’ve entitled my message this morning “Me Too” and we are going to be looking in the word today about how we can imitate Christ.

Me Too

I’m sharing with you today from the gospel of .

To set the context, it is a fairly packed chapter that flows quickly from one scene to the next.

At the beginning of the chapter we have Jesus sending out the 12 disciples for ministry on their own, granting them power to cast out demons, heal and proclaim the kingdom of God. 1-6.

In the next section, Herod the puppet ruler of the area perplexed hearing about these crazy events and desiring to see Jesus 7-9.

Following this we see Jesus feeding the 5 thousand (5 loaves and 2 fish).

Then he is alone praying, but for the 12. Peter confesses him as the Christ. Jesus warns them not to tell anyone. He fortells his death, not the manner, just that he would be killed. Finally we arrive at our passage.

Love it or hate it I want to read it from the Message first.

Luke 9:23–27 The Message

Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: “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 finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I’m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn’t, you realize, pie in the sky by and by. Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God.”

For the sake of time, we are not going to read through the ESV version. I’d def. invite you to read it for yourself, from which ever translation you usually use. Skip this slide. The remainder of my message is just going to unpack the first verse. So we can just leave it up there.

Luke 9:23 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Luke 9:23–27 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:23 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

What Jesus presents us with in this verse is his formula for factoring the cost of discipleship.

Throughout the new testament we see his command to follow coupled with the demands either implicitly or explicitly stated.

Implicit - and they left their nets, tax booths - their careers and followed him.

Explicit - “Let the dead bury their own dead and follow me”.

Implicit - And he rose and followed him.

Explicit - “Sell everything you own, give it to the poor and come follow me.”

What we don’t see in

It must be stated at the outset, this is a profound mystery. Salvation is a free gift, that none may boast. Through Jesus’ death he gave everything, God - of infinite resource through Jesus’ death, gave everything. So while salvation is free, discipleship costs us everything. And even so we can’t out give him.

If you feel like I’m preaching works today, I’d invite you to abide in the tension. Know that no amount of scripture reading, prayer, or sacrifice earns your salvation nor does it increase his love for you. He’s given and expressed his love to the fullest. What changes and is transformed in this process is you and I. Our own capacity to sense, stew, absorb, share and pour out is deepened, heightened, and expanded in this process of imitating Christ we call discipleship.

know that no amount of scripture reading, prayer, or sacrifice earns your salvation nor does it increase his love for you. He’s given and expressed his love to the fullest. What changes and is transformed in this process is you and I. Our own capacity to sense, stew, absorb, share and pour out is deepened, heightened, and expanded in this process of imitating Christ we call discipleship.

Today for each of these points I want to focus in on one facet of their meaning. However, each informs and shares meaning to give a clear picture of what Jesus is describing as he outlines what it means to follow him.

In his leadership, he is not asking us to step where he has not already gone. At each juncture, through each phase we are following in the footsteps of our master. Longest intro ever....I bet your happy we’re only looking at one verse.

Guys, if you recognize things I’m saying from other passages, excellent. I’m just plagiarizing the Bible to expound on this verse. If this is an issue, talk to me after.

Denial:

This is a call for us to subject our will to the father. Anytime in our day, we start to feel carried along and about to indulge in our favorite sin, we stop. We invite the Spirit in and ask for the exit and pray for his will to be done. We lay it before him, submitting our desires and will before the Lord and asking how we might better fill our time? Maybe we love our sin so much we don’t even have the desire for it to be gone.

Start the prayer there. That he would give us his desires for our lives.

Remember that Jesus too submitted his will entirely to the Father. He did nothing, but what he saw the Father doing. I’m not there guys, but I want to be.

In his life he demonstrated absolute denial, he emptied himself and considered equality with God not something to be grasped. He prayed, “Father let this cup pass from me, but not my will, but yours be done.”

It is interesting that we hate the idea of submitting to anyone. But we all do it everyday. If not society would cease to function. Most of us stop at a red light, or a stop sign. We mostly stay within the posted speeds. If we get tickets we pay them.

For the good of society we deny ourselves all the time. Why do I bring this up? Some people as I start to mention the thought of denying our own will really get defenisve. I want to point out, that really we are more familiar with this idea then we might have realized at the first pass.

Now as a single guy, I’m obviously the best authority on the topic of relationships. I’m just going to highlight the link between denial of self and healthy or successful relationships, at any level. Their needs to be a level of reciprocity and consideration for the other if there is going to be a sustainable and meaningful relationship. Both need to give and deny at approximately the same level, or therapy might be required.

Marriage is a great topic here, about how it is an analogy of Christ’s love publically lived out in front of us all the time. That’d be another sermon, and right now, it’s someone else’s cross, so maybe I’ll wait to speak on it.

Speaking of the Cross.......

Carrying the Cross Daily:

Lots that could be covered here, so much tying back into denial of self and identification with Christ in his death: but I’m going to focus in on the cross as our personal and public ministry.

This is one of the most powerful display’s of “Me Too” Christ imitation that we get to partner in.

The world is always asking, where is the love of God today? I hear it all the time, not always so cleanly stated. God’s ultimate show of love was through the spectacle of his Son, surrendering his will and for the joy set before him enduring death on the cross. As the hands and feet of Jesus, we are the answer to this question the world has about God’s love.

This is the demonstration of love witnessed when we, not above the master, declare “me too” and carry our cross as a perpetual reminder and testament of God’s love for the world.

Clarify:

It is personal - we do not carry Jesus’ cross. Nor do we carry someone else’s.

When Jesus died on the cross he declared “It is finished.” The work he had been called to had been accomplished.

Rome still ruled. Poverty still existed. Stuff still happened. But his work was finished.

A need does not constituted a call. Let the spirit guide you to your cross. Ask him, what does it look like? Some of you are intimately familiar with your cross. Some of you have never thought about it before.

I can’t tell you what it looks like. Maybe your cross is to display the forgiveness or love that was purchased for you by Jesus, to that person - whom in your own strength - you could never extend it. Perhaps going beyond action it is an otherwise impossible posture of your heart to display generosity, goodness and peace, in a way and through circumstances that leave the world slack jawed in wonder.

Whatever your cross is, Jesus promises that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

It is public - the walk from the Roman halls to the hill was excruciating, full of shame and ended in his very public execution as a spectacle for the crowd.

We should not be surprised or assume failure when it starts to chafe.

Each story in the Bible reveals different seasons in the walk. The specter of the cross is never far from their story and we shouldn’t expect it to be gone from ours as well.

I’m not saying you will be a martyr or that if you do not feel like you are suffering, then you are walking wrong and you should go out and look for it. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Let tomorrow worry about itself.

I spent some time over seas and in another context I figured if I died, then I’d die. If Jesus was willing to do it for me, I must be willing at least to reciprocate. Now back in Canada, though I’m probably not going to have to die, I ask myself the question.

What does losing my life for Jesus look like here? How can I pour out and demonstrate everything I have gained from God through Christ, which is literally all things?

Follow Me:

So where are we following him? Where does Jesus lead? Right back to the heart of the Father. To life and life more abundantly.

It’s another mystery. But following him is to know Christ, to join with him in his suffering and identify with him in his death so that by any means we might attain to the resurrection from the dead and eternal life! Plagarism guys.

But following Jesus is to walk in denial and daily carry our cross. Paul took it further and stated that he died daily, the key is that we live to die another day.

Sometimes Hollywood comes out with some powerful examples of truth. I struggled about whether to use it as an example. I’m not holding it out as something you should watch but:

You know I’m

Sometimes Hollywood comes out with some powerful examples of truth. I struggled about whether to use it as an example.

In the movie the Suicide Squad, there is a scene between the Joker and Harley Quinn. He asks her, “Would you die for me?” She responds, “Yes, yes I would die for you.” Then he says, “Ahh that is to easy, but would you live for me?”

I think sometimes the hardest and most courageous thing we can do, is wake up each day and follow Christ. The Bible is full of examples of people, when things didn’t quite go their way, they tell God, “Oh just let me die!” - David, Elijah, Jonah… .etc

Right now in society there is a culture of death that really glorifies suicide. I’ve felt strongly since Pastor Kevin asked me to speak a month ago that I needed to address this. Someone maybe here today, or someone listening online is battling with this. Seduced by the idea that your family or friends might be better off without you. Perhaps even going off verses from scripture, you’ve come away thinking that somehow death is not only viable but it is the best option, because it would be a demonstration of love.

On behalf of our community and your families, let me tell you that we are not better off without you. Your presence and your gifts, your walk with Christ helps to call us higher. If you haven’t already - reach out, talk to someone. Let us pray for you and connect so we can walk with you.

Tim Keller in his book the Prodical God told a story about CS Lewis. Lewis talked about how it takes a community to know a man. Charles was a young man a part of the Inklings along with Ronald (Tolkein) and CS Lewis. Charles would bring out a smile and laugh from Tolkein that once Charles passed, Lewis never saw again. Instead of having more of the man, he not only lost Charles, he lost a piece of Tolkein. It takes a community to call out each facet of who an individual is.

In the same way it takes the body to know Christ. Through the unique expression of your relationship with Christ I come to know Christ more. As we see people added to the body and their gifts and testimonies reveal Christ in a new way we gain more and more revelation of who Christ is. This in turn serves to bolster our witness as a clearer picture of who Christ is illuminates our minds - we are better equipped to share this revelation with the world. Christianity is meant to be lived and expressed in community. Trusting and walking with Christ is meant to be done in community as well. As we imitate Christ, following in his steps the body is built, and the world is provided a powerful and perpetual demonstration of God’s love.

Closing

I’d like to close with a commissioning of university/college students and staff, as they start the year. If you have anything to do with University or College life I’d like us to pray for you and commission you, to be a witness for Christ. Depression and suicide are huge issues on campuses. If you are struggling with depression or suicide we’d also like to pray for you.

Related Media

Related Sermons