TOPIC: DENY YOURSELF, TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME
BY: ENWENEMATI KINIKA KINGSLEY (LLB)
TEXT: MARK 8:31
Introduction:
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:31-34)
So what I would like for us to look at is "How do we DENY ourselves?" Because obviously we need to.
The first thing I want to do is define the word "deny".
The on-line dictionary lists several definitions among them are these;
1. deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure; "She denied herself wine and spirits"
2. refuse to recognize or acknowledge; "Peter denied Jesus"
We know that Jesus instructs us to deny ourselves. Are we to avoid indulging in any and all pleasure? This example uses wine, but some of us need to "deny" ourselves that extra trip to the refrigerator! Or maybe "deny" the enjoyment we get out of talking bad (gossiping) about someone.
Or we could "deny" ourselves whenever we feel like we have done something really good and special but it seems someone else is getting credit for your work! How frustrating is that?
Let’s look closer at "deny". If someone accuses you of something you didn’t do, your initial reaction is to "deny" those charges. And hey, if someone tries to accuse you of something really, really bad, you don’t just "deny" the allegations....you vehemently deny it! "Hey, I did NOT do that!"
We get passionate about it! And should, if you are innocent! Sometimes though, people deny things that ARE true. Have you ever seen someone deny something that you absolutely KNOW they did.....even have evidence...and they deny to the very end!
There are several, I’m sure, murderers on death row that are still denying their crimes....even though DNA evidence has caught them dead to rights...so to speak.
So is "denying ourselves" simply a matter of saying "I didn’t do it?" Of course not! That’s not at all what Jesus was talking about here.
What Jesus is saying here is that we must put the things of God above the things of man....including the things that WE think are more important to us, we must "deny" these thing in order to "take up our cross and follow Him".
It is absolutely urgent that we understand here that we MUST do this in order to follow Christ. That’s what Jesus said...
So what must I do to deny myself?
Denying self requires us to give up anything that we would want or seek that would hinder our doing the will of God.
This does not mean that, if we want something, it is necessarily wrong. It means we must take our wants and desires down from the throne and place Jesus and His will as the governing power in our lives.
Examples; Career, jobs, Business, Politics, family, children etc.
There is room in each life for only one master. Matthew 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20- But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21- For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Take Up Your Cross And Follow Me
A lot of people think this means bearing burdens and suffering hardships for the Lord. Surely such hardships will at times be required, but there is a fuller meaning when we consider the text Luke 9:23-27.
It is not just a burden to be borne. Far more than that it was an instrument of death and total sacrifice. It is a total dedication of life. Our whole life is given to His service in anything He says. This will lead us to willingly deny self.
Follow Me:
Requires us to live as He lived His life. A daily total sacrifice of self to do the will of Christ. Whatever He wants with my life is what must be done. What I want no longer matters but what God want from me supersede all.
How do I follow Christ?
The determination to give our lives to God’s service is called "repentance." In repenting we determine to turn away from our own will and live our lives to please God. We cannot be saved without this, and that is why repentance is so important in salvation.
It also explains why so many people are not truly Jesus’ disciples (whether or not they may claim to be His disciples): because they are not willing to make this total sacrifice.
The next verse then helps us understand Jesus’ point and strengthens the application. If a person holds his life so dear to himself that he wants to use it to please himself, do his own will, and accomplish his own purposes, rather than denying self and serving God, that person will in the end lose his life eternally.
But anyone who loses his life for Jesus’ sake - gives it in service and sacrifice to God by denying himself, as described above - such a man will save his life by gaining eternal life.
There can be no greater or clearer teaching anywhere of the meaning of being a disciple. This is how our Master lived, so this is how His disciples must live. We must live lives of complete and total submission to the will of God.
Deny yourself.....not Jesus!
#HolyFeet Foundation Evangelical Mission
#St. Michael’s Christ Army Church Evangelical Team.
#http://holyfeetfoundation.blogspot.com
#WhatsApp: 09037671333
BY: ENWENEMATI KINIKA KINGSLEY (LLB)
TEXT: MARK 8:31
Introduction:
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:31-34)
So what I would like for us to look at is "How do we DENY ourselves?" Because obviously we need to.
The first thing I want to do is define the word "deny".
The on-line dictionary lists several definitions among them are these;
1. deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure; "She denied herself wine and spirits"
2. refuse to recognize or acknowledge; "Peter denied Jesus"
We know that Jesus instructs us to deny ourselves. Are we to avoid indulging in any and all pleasure? This example uses wine, but some of us need to "deny" ourselves that extra trip to the refrigerator! Or maybe "deny" the enjoyment we get out of talking bad (gossiping) about someone.
Or we could "deny" ourselves whenever we feel like we have done something really good and special but it seems someone else is getting credit for your work! How frustrating is that?
Let’s look closer at "deny". If someone accuses you of something you didn’t do, your initial reaction is to "deny" those charges. And hey, if someone tries to accuse you of something really, really bad, you don’t just "deny" the allegations....you vehemently deny it! "Hey, I did NOT do that!"
We get passionate about it! And should, if you are innocent! Sometimes though, people deny things that ARE true. Have you ever seen someone deny something that you absolutely KNOW they did.....even have evidence...and they deny to the very end!
There are several, I’m sure, murderers on death row that are still denying their crimes....even though DNA evidence has caught them dead to rights...so to speak.
So is "denying ourselves" simply a matter of saying "I didn’t do it?" Of course not! That’s not at all what Jesus was talking about here.
What Jesus is saying here is that we must put the things of God above the things of man....including the things that WE think are more important to us, we must "deny" these thing in order to "take up our cross and follow Him".
It is absolutely urgent that we understand here that we MUST do this in order to follow Christ. That’s what Jesus said...
So what must I do to deny myself?
Denying self requires us to give up anything that we would want or seek that would hinder our doing the will of God.
This does not mean that, if we want something, it is necessarily wrong. It means we must take our wants and desires down from the throne and place Jesus and His will as the governing power in our lives.
Examples; Career, jobs, Business, Politics, family, children etc.
There is room in each life for only one master. Matthew 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20- But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21- For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Take Up Your Cross And Follow Me
A lot of people think this means bearing burdens and suffering hardships for the Lord. Surely such hardships will at times be required, but there is a fuller meaning when we consider the text Luke 9:23-27.
It is not just a burden to be borne. Far more than that it was an instrument of death and total sacrifice. It is a total dedication of life. Our whole life is given to His service in anything He says. This will lead us to willingly deny self.
Follow Me:
Requires us to live as He lived His life. A daily total sacrifice of self to do the will of Christ. Whatever He wants with my life is what must be done. What I want no longer matters but what God want from me supersede all.
How do I follow Christ?
The determination to give our lives to God’s service is called "repentance." In repenting we determine to turn away from our own will and live our lives to please God. We cannot be saved without this, and that is why repentance is so important in salvation.
It also explains why so many people are not truly Jesus’ disciples (whether or not they may claim to be His disciples): because they are not willing to make this total sacrifice.
The next verse then helps us understand Jesus’ point and strengthens the application. If a person holds his life so dear to himself that he wants to use it to please himself, do his own will, and accomplish his own purposes, rather than denying self and serving God, that person will in the end lose his life eternally.
But anyone who loses his life for Jesus’ sake - gives it in service and sacrifice to God by denying himself, as described above - such a man will save his life by gaining eternal life.
There can be no greater or clearer teaching anywhere of the meaning of being a disciple. This is how our Master lived, so this is how His disciples must live. We must live lives of complete and total submission to the will of God.
Deny yourself.....not Jesus!
#HolyFeet Foundation Evangelical Mission
#St. Michael’s Christ Army Church Evangelical Team.
#http://holyfeetfoundation.blogspot.com
#WhatsApp: 09037671333
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