"Take Up Your Cross"
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Take Up Your Cross.
Take Up Your Cross.
Introduction
Introduction
“Take up your cross and follow Christ.”
Well known in Christian circles.
It has been interpreted in various ways.
Is this about willingness to suffer? “That my cross I have to bare.”
Is it about commitment to Christ?
Is it about being courageous?
Perhaps like many you’re not exactly sure what it means.
But you’ve made a SPIRITUAL STICKY NOTE.
Like WWJD
Here is the problem...
it’s an IF/THEN statement.
IF you will follow Jesus
THEN you need to do this.
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
This is an integral part of our relationship to Christ Jesus!!!
Fortunately the gospel writers recorded the larger conversation that surround this vital statement.
Thats what we are going to look at.
If you are are going to take up your cross and follow Christ, then here are...
A few things every Christian must know.
You must know who Jesus is.
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”
30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
“Who do people say that I am?”
“You are the Christ”
You are the Messiah.
You are the one God promise would come.
In a world steeped in sin, you are the only hope of a restored relationship with God.
Illustration: Why are there so many religions?
Friend asked me this question once.
I told him there are really only two religions.
Those who believe Jesus is the Christ. The son of God
Those who don’t
There are many things to consider when choosing a church but start by getting a clear picture of who they say Jesus is.
You must know the difference between what is spiritual and what is temporal.
It would seem that things would move forward after Peter proclamation.
But the conversation took a weird turn… (clearly not in the direction Peter thought)
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
Why would Peter rebuke Jesus?
in 1st century Jerusalem
Christ = Liberator
Christ = Restore national honor
Christ = back to the “Glory Days”
To hear Jesus say He was going to mistreated and even killed.
That didn’t fit the plan at all.
This is wrong thinking that Jesus had to correct.
33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
What a strong rebuke!
Mark record something I think is valuable.
“But turning an seeing his disciples...”
Knowing Jesus is the Christ was vital.
But UNDERSTANDING what that means is FOUNDATIONAL.
something ALL of them needed to understand!!!
And the one thing that was preventing them from understanding ...
“You are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man.”
A mind set on things of man:
Desire for health and prosperity.
A mind set on things of God:
Desire of Gods glory and advancement of the Gospel.
You must know what it means to follow Jesus.
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
"calling the crowd to him with His disciples...”
When you see this lesson develop you see how powerful it was meant to be.
Who do you say that I am?
That means I’m going to suffer.
NO! This can’t be!
Seeing the disciples … Jesus rebukes Peter.
THEN...
Jesus calls all people AND the disciples..
If ANYONE would follow me … let him...
3 parts:
deny himself.
deny your pursuit of comfort prosperity.
deny claiming the life you “deserve”
don’t make yourself the priority.
take up his cross.
admission of guilt.
undeserved punishment.
selfless sacrifice.
follow me.
Join Jesus on His gospel mission.
(Luke) Daily!!!
not something you do!
it become who you are!
You must know what has eternal value.
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
(not that He needed to) Jesus offers two points of reason to support what He just proclaimed.
Since this life is temporal (as we already noted)
If you set out to “save” all that you have in this life...
In the end you will lose everything.
However, if you forsake this life
FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST
HUGE caveat.
You will ultimately save something of eternal value.
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
Logical argument!
What if you succeeded in all you pursuits in life?
What will happen when this life is over.
If you were the most successful person alive and yet, in the end, all your fortune and success was lost.
You may have enjoyed some years.
But you’re going to spend eternity in a place called hell.
So what did you actually win?
You must know what is at stake.
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
“Whoever is ashamed of me and my word.”