Jesus First

Jesus First - Matthew 16:24

Matthew 16:24 NKJV

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

May God Bless The Reading Hearing & Understanding of his Precious Word!

Prayer

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Intro:

It is important today that we understand the difference between a Christ follower (aka Disciple) and a person who just goes to church!

Jesus makes it clear in this verse that if we want to follow Him, we have to be willing to do three things:

1.deny ourselves, 2.pick up our cross, and 3.follow Him.

It's a call to give up everything and give your whole life to the Lord.

Now,what is getting in the way - I believe three things impact each of us in significant ways: 1: me (you) - how we think, feel, what we want and don’t want, what we believe and don’t believe, what we trust and don’t trust etc..

2. the second thing that impacts us in significant ways are family 3. the third thing that impacts us in significant ways are things

So the text tell us that if you put these things before Jesus - you can’t be his disciple!

Jesus First

Jesus didn't try to hide from people who wanted to follow Him what God's grace would do in the life of a believer. Those who wanted to follow him - would exchange theirs lives for a new life in Jesus Christ!

Mark 1:17 NKJV

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Luke 9:23 NKJV

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Interestingly, he didn’t say - follow the pastor, he didn’t say follow a religious denomination, he didn’t say follow a philosophy or follow your feelings, he said follow me!

Jesus First!

Jesus makes it clear that if we want to follow Him, we have to be willing to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. It's a call to give up everything and give your whole life to Jesus!

This a reminder of our call! The call to deny ourselves and to take up our cross!

Luke 14:27 NLT

27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

Jesus says, "No one can be my disciple if they don't carry their cross and follow me." It's a reminder that we can't really follow Jesus if we're not willing to pay the price for it. As Christ followers - we have been called to pick up our crosses daily!

Now hear is something interesting in the scripture - this call was not just for believers - this call was for everyone! That’s why I’m excited

Mark 8:34 NKJV

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Mark 8:35 NCV

35 Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who give up their lives for me and for the Good News will have true life.

This verse is another reminder that God wants us to give up our own wants and needs. It reminds us that if we want to follow Jesus, we can't hold on to our own wants, plans, and goals. Instead, we should be willing to give up everything for the sake of the gospel.

Even Paul tells us in

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

This verse says what it means to deny yourself and take up your cross. It tells us that we no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ, who lives in us. It's a call to die to ourselves so that Christ can live in and through us.

Matthew 16:24 NCV

24 Then Jesus said to his followers, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me.

First, Jesus says, "If you want to be my disciple, you have to deny yourself." To deny ourselves means to put our own wants, plans, and goals aside and do what God wants us to do. It means telling ourselves "no" and telling God "yes." It tells us to stop living for ourselves and start living for Christ.

It's hard to say no to ourselves. It requires us to let go of our pride, our comfort, our reputation, and our control. It means admitting that God, not me, is in charge of our lives. It means to trust God even when we don't know what He is up to or how He does things. It's a call to have faith and be humble.

"Take up their cross," is the second thing Jesus says. In Jesus' time, the cross was a sign of shame, pain, and death. To take up our cross means to be willing to suffer and even die for Jesus. It means that you are willing to pay whatever price it takes to follow Jesus.

Taking up our crosses is also not easy. It means we have to go through hard times, be persecuted, and even be rejected for Christ's sake. It means being willing to stand up for what's right, even if it's unpopular or makes you feel bad. It is a call to be brave and keep going.

"And follow me," he says as the third thing. If you want to follow Jesus, you have to do what He says and love Him. It means to be like Him and to follow what He taught. It means to follow in His steps and do what He wants. It's a call to get close to Christ and spend time with him.

Following Jesus isn't a one-time choice; it's a daily decision. It means we have to give up our plans and will to Him every day. It means to look for His guidance and presence in everything we do. It's a call to trust and be faithful.

So, what does it look like in our daily lives to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus?

Deny ourselves: To deny ourselves, we have to put God's will ahead of our own. It means we should ask for His advice and wisdom in every choice we make. It means choosing to help other people instead of putting ourselves first. It means being humble and willing to learn from others. It also means being willing to admit when we're wrong.

Take up our cross: To take up our cross, we have to be willing to pay the price of following Jesus. It means staying true to Him even when it's hard or not what other people want. It means standing up for what is right, even if it means facing opposition or persecution. It means being ready to go through pain for Christ and His message.

Follow Jesus - To follow Jesus, we need to get close to Him through prayer, worship, and studying His Word. It means acting like Him by loving, being kind, and caring about other people. It means doing what He tells us to do and looking for His will in everything we do. It means being a witness for Him by spreading the gospel and making disciples.

Hear me - it is not easy to give up ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. It takes faith, sacrifice, and dedication. But it's also the most rewarding and fulfilling thing we can do with our lives. When we give ourselves over to God and follow Him with all of our hearts, we get to know His love, grace, and power in ways we never thought possible.

So let me share with you what else Jesus said

Matthew 10:38 NLT

38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

This is a call to discipleship! Not just going to church, not just identifying with a denomination, not just being religious or spiritual! This is a call to follow Jesus, this a reminder to deny the things that you want to follow Jesus! This is a charge to put Jesus First!

Jesus isn't asking us to carry a real cross like He did, but He is asking us to be willing to suffer for Him and to follow Him with all our hearts.

Today we need disciples! We need men and women, boys and girls who will put Jesus First

Matthew 16:26–27 NKJV

26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Put Jesus First

God Bless You and God Keep you is my prayer