Deny yourself, pick up your cross...
Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me. • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Deny yourself and pick up your cross.
What we see in this portion of this text from the backdrop of last night is an utter forsaking of oneself.
Deny means: To dissown or disassociate oneself from someone; claim no knowledge or relationship to.
So God is telling me if i want to follow him i must deny, disassociate myself from myself. Why?
We see a similar picture of Christ calling his disciples to pick up their cross.
Why would christ command his followers to pick up an instrument of death and torture. A symbol literally of death.
This seems pretty radical of Jesus. This is not a sure way to draw a crowd.
This is not a way to build a large church.
We must understand some fundamental principles.
First Jeremiah tells us like we heard last night that our hearts are
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
Have you ever followed your heart and it not go as planned?
Have you ever done what felt good and it didn’t lead to greater happiness but rather deeper despair?
Second we are so prone to wander. We are easy deceived, and we do not know all things. nor do we know beginning to end. See God doesn’t give us all the details on purpose for we could not handle them.
For instance when Jesus told peter how he was going to die, Peter said well what about John? instantly wanted to know how others were going to fair.
God doesn’t call us to know all the details but rather that we would trust in him, at ALL costs. We cannot do this if we refuse to lay everything down at the altar. If we refuse to give to lay our life down.
This is like saying God i love you with my soul but not my heart. I will trust you for salvation but not for direction.
This is like me telling my wife i love her but then going and cheating on my wife with other woman.
This is not love at all.
Its all or nothing.
does God get your soul, your dreams, your desires and your passions?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul.
gives us insight into what is being talked about here in Matthew.
He says i beseech you brethren by the mercies of God.
First from the basis of the mercy of God.
What great mercy the Lord has shown us.
The God of ALL gave himself that we may have life.
Our every breath
By the mercy of God we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices.
A place where things go to die and do not return.
So because of what God has done for us and showing us the life we once sought after, and how it was actually death, now with life we are to give everything to God.
We lay everything down on the altar saying God my life is a blank contract. Do with me as you please. Your ways will be my ways. your truth my truth. Your will my will.
My dreams, my desires, my passions…You tell me what they are. For I know i only see in part and i am so prone to wander as the psalmists says.
When we lay our lives down in such way, God looks at this devotion as Radical Christians…NOT
Actually he calls this our reasonable service. What we ought to do, naturally because of what He has done for us. This is christianity 101. The basics. God gave me life now i give him my life.
I serve a new master, I have a new king…who is good and worthy to serve.
My old master satan and my flesh only sought continually to destroy me.
With this new found life of laying it all down the bible tells us that we are not to be CONFORMED to this world but rather BE TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind…so that you may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.
The answer for growth, clarity of Gods plan, and victory for battle is found in the instruction of the word of God.
No wonder the wisest man upon earth said that we are to treasure more than fine rubies. We are to cling to its instruction, and wisdom. For it informs our every step.
Wisdom to be gained through the scriptures when we treasure them.
, How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed to your word. i have hid your word in my heart that i may not sin against you.
Psalms 119
I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
When Gods ways seem unreasonable. God this just doesn’t make since. I want revenge. I don’t want to give place to your wrath but rather mine.
I dont want to forgive
Forgive as i have forgiven you 70 times 7.
I dont want to bless when i am cursed
Dont forget as you have onced walked
I dont want to honor my father and mother…they dont deserve it.
Honor your parents in the Lord for this is right.
I dont want to trust right now for the path seems to hard to bear.
Straight is the gate and narrow the path that leads to life but wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction.
It is beyond my control.
It feels to good…it must be right.
there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the way thereof is to death.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
Wait! What? lean not on my own understanding? Rather give way to trust. To the God who knows beginning to end. Who works all things together for good...
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
With my relationships that I give away what God calls me to save...
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
With my addiction...
Come to me that you may receive help in your time of need.
With my worries...
God says do not worry about tomorrow for the day has enough of its worries to bear.
Worry doubts Gods power and it refuses to trust in Gods plans. It is a self made god that seeks to take matters into its own hands.
One man said worry is bringing tomorrows rain clouds (that may never come to pass) on todays sunshine.
God says in his word,
Think on these things.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Bring every thought captive. Dont allow your mind to wander and fantasy and don’t allow your mind to get overwhelmed by things you cannot control.
Do not go to the harlots corner for those who go unto her chambers are like sheep led to the slaughter. They go in and never return. It takes their lives.
Don’t hang with those that seek continually to perform evil. run from their company. Do not associate with them.
So where do we start?
Its starts right now.
IF you have fallen we serve a merciful God when you repent. Turn away from your sin and turn towards God.
Daniel:
Daniel now an orphan.
Parents no longer around to tell him what to do.
Now a slave
Has a new master to answer to
living in a foreign land.
Name was changed to forget the old and embrace the new.
All other kindred that had been captured with him going along with the flow.
Yet Daniel is at a crossroads. What gets brought before him was opportunity to sin against God.
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
Its in the small battles with no body watching that wars are won. The tests to see where is your heart at?
Do you love me when its just you?
Do you love me when its you and your buddies?
Do you love me no matter who is around?
When you win the small battles it prepares you for the Goliaths.
David going up against Goliath.
When you go up against the impossible it is only possible when your eyes are not on your abilities but rather on Gods throne.
He was reminded of his weaknesses multiple times. THis is common in our battles. But this is a great reminder that i cannot do this without God.
Win the small battles.
This is what prepares you for the future.
future spouses
Future parents
Future ministry leaders.
Learn to the trust the lord now.
Starve the grizzley bear that you have been feeding in your back yard.
What is the battle on your door step?
Maybe its a boyfriend or girlfriend
Maybe is pornography
Maybe it is worry
Maybe it is drugs or alcohol
Maybe it is bad friends that are influencing you to do wrong
Maybe it is rebellion against your parents
It is time to cut it off. Win the small battle that will prepare you for the future.
Deny yourself and pick up your cross
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.
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