Count The Cost
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Good-morning church! Let’s jump right into this. If you have your Bibles please head over to
Mark 8:34–38 (CSB)
Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Whoooo… This ones a doozy. Remember where we are in this passage. This call that Jesus is making is coming off of the heels of him rebuking Peter and the very first inclination that He is going to suffer and be rejected by the world.
So he tells Peter off and then calls not only the disciples to him but the gathering crowds around him as well and gives some very straight forward guidelines to them if they would like to be a follower.
Look at vs 34.
Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
If you decide that you want to be a disciple of Jesus, it is a recognition of who you are and who Jesus is. That you are a sinner and He is a Savior. You recognize your need for Him.
That His ways are better than your ways.
That you want him to lead, and you to follow.
I think the crowds would have heard the first part of this, “If anyone would follow after me” and been very down with that offer!
Jesus seemed like THE guy to follow! He got to travel a lot, people knew his name, he was speaking in front of massive crowds, little rebellious, i mean he’s doing miracles and walking on water! Why wouldn't you want to follow him?!
I think a lot of people today like the “idea” of following Jesus, they like the “idea” of being a disciple....
If you want to follow me, great! Come close and let me tell you what you need to do.
Then he says the next statement. “let him deny himself”
Deny means “to forget about, to renounce, to reject”
Its powerful in english but the original greek I believe carries a little more weight.
Arneomai - to disregard his own interests, act entirely unlike himself; Total Negation
Arneomai - to disregard his own interests, act entirely unlike himself; Total Negation
The word Jesus used was the greek word “Arneomai” which means “to disregard his own interests, act entirely unlike himself; total negation”
Doing some study on this phrase “Deny yourself” theologians and commentators are all of the same mind when they point out that Jesus wasn’t intending us to deny every pleasure of this world.
He did not intend us to deny every good thing or that we are not to enjoy our lives. God wants us to enjoy this life we have!
Instead he wants us to deny our “Self”. Self here is synonymous with Flesh. And our Flesh here is bent towards our Pride.
The things that are sinful, the things that are self gratifying. The things that are in direct opposition to what God is.
I would imagine this would have been pretty difficult to hear 2000 years ago but incredibly difficult today. Why is that?
Its because we live in a world where you don’t have to deny yourself of ANYTHING.
Any sort of sexual desire. Its right there. You can go find it, you can go get it. In fact its encouraged.
The newest and best thing? If I want something, I can tap on a rectangle a couple of times and it will be at my house in a day or two.
Instant gratification. Anybody you want to be, anything you want, you can be that.
Every message that we hear in our life is about self fulfillment.
Have you heard these phrases before?
“Its your body, do what you want”
“Its your life, live it how you want”
“Be true to yourself”
“Follow your truth”
“Follow your Heart”
So many messages that we hear in our life is about self fulfillment.
And God has given us free will, so if we decide to live that way, there will be consequences for it.
But Jesus says, “If you want to be MY disciple, you must deny yourself. Deny your flesh and your pride and follow me.”
But not only are we called to deny our self, thats only the first step. After we have made a commitment to deny our flesh and our pride, Jesus also tells us that we are to bear our cross.
And maybe there were some people in that crowd that would have been down with the first part of this statement from Jesus. Maybe they said “Yea my life hasn’t been going great because I have been doing what was right in my own eyes, but bearing my cross? That seems like a step to far, Jesus”
You see, the crowds and disciples didn’t have the same knowledge that we have now. The cross was not a symbol of love and forgiveness for us or something hanging on the front of synagogues.
No, instead it was a symbol of suffering and pain and death.
Doing some research, I found out that this isn't a traditional Jewish turn of phrase but instead a Roman one.
You see, at this time Rome was doing a whole lot of conquering. They were expanding their empire and in order to make sure that their subjects remained loyal to them and to quell any uprisings, crucifixion was used as a form of punishment for traitors.
Before someone was to be crucified and hung on a cross, that crossbeam would be hung on them and they would have to carry it to their place of execution. This sent a message to the people. Don’t cross us or this could be you....
A man bearing his cross was condemned. There was no pleading or trial that took place after you are walking those streets with that crossbeam on your back. It was a one way trip and at the end was waiting death.
The people in the crowds would have had a very visceral image in their mind as to what this meant.
It was complete and total submission to authority. One that they had previously fought against viciously.
Jesus, with just 4 words “Take up your cross” demands that we do the same to him. Submit completely to His will. Let his voice be the only one guiding our lives. No matter the cost. Whatever it takes. Even until death...
What in the world could demand such a cost? The value that Jesus is placing on following him is a steep one.
Look at vs 35-37
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life?
What something is worth is a hard concept to really explain or understand fully without a full understanding of what your purchasing.
For example, on my 9th bday I opened a pack of Pokemon cards and I pulled out a 1st edition holographic shadowless Charizard.....I know…I was speechless myself.
My 9 year old self did everything humanly possible to protect that card and keep it safe. It meant an immeasurable amount to me.
Around 15 years later, it was worth about $.50 along with every other card I had collected when they were sold by my mother in a garage sale...
By the way, theres one currently listed on Ebay for $32,000.
I cant blame my mother. Not anymore at least. I forgave her and “moved on”. But she didn’t know! And at the time I probably didn't know that it would end up being worth that much either.
In order for us to understand the value of our lives we need to have a complete and total comprehension that we are eternal beings.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says this,
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (CSB)
He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.
Our time on earth may be short. 70-80 years, maybe. But once we pass on from here, we will exist forever somewhere else. Either in the presence of God or an eternity spent away from Him.
Thats why I think Jesus spoke in such intense and seemingly harsh terms. His ways are higher are than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He knows the span of the universe. He knows evil like you and I don’t know evil. He knows heaven and Hell like you and I don’t know heaven and hell.
He is acutely aware of what is at stake here.
He knows exactly what will happen if we a live a life according to our flesh...
Just a chapter earlier, Jesus warns what a life lived in fulfillment of self looks like
For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”
If we live a life chasing all of the things of this world that our heart desires and our pride and flesh crave, what have we gained? How far ahead have we made it in an eternal perspective?
“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.
This was another warning that Jesus gave his disciples. More proof that Jesus was constantly thinking of the eternal and we should be too.
So if Jesus says that this is such a big deal, and it is!, how do we actively deny our selves and bear our cross in our day to day lives?
Here are some practical, albeit difficult, steps we can take in our lives to live a life in submission to Jesus
Denying Self
Denying Self
We give up the right to take revenge
Romans 12:19–20 (CSB)
Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.
2. We give up the right to have a comfortable, secure home.
Luke 9:57–58 (CSB)
As they were traveling on the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
3. We give up the right to a good reputation
“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.
4. We give up the right to spend money however we please.
“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
5. We give up the right to hate an enemy
“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same?
6. We give up the right to be honored and served.
Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
7. We give up the right to to understand Gods plan before we obey him.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going.
8. We give up the right to live by our own rules John 14:23-24
Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.
9. We give up the right to hold a grudge
bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.
10. We give up the right to complain
Do everything without grumbling and arguing,
11. We give up the right to put self first
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.
12. We give up the right to express ones sexuality freely
Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.
13. We give up the right to rebel against authority
Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.
Phew! We made it through.
This list may seem restrictive. Some of these up here might have been a harder pill to swallow than others and if that was the case for you, I want to encourage and challenge you to dig a little deeper in that area and ask Him for an eternal perspective in that area.
Maybe you are the King of holding grudges, or a champion complainer. Seek Him in those areas. If you believe Jesus is who he says He is, we should have an overwhelming urge to please and follow after Him.
Jesus doesn’t ask us to deny ourselves and bear our cross because he wants us to suffer and feel oppressed by him. Denying self should be a freedom felt like none other. If you’re fighting it, step back and take a look at who’s in the drivers seat.
Eloise and her necklace.
If you are still holding tightly onto that tangled, knotted necklace of a life, I want to encourage you to take a look at this list and hand over what youve been holding onto so tightly and submit to the Father. Because I promise you, a life lived for Him is infinitely more fulfilling than one lived for yourself.
Let’s Pray.
Country Christian Church 2023