Take Up Your Cross

I’TS AMAZING HOW DIFFERENTLY PEOPLE DO THINGS

FALL BACK POLL ON MY INSTAGRAM

POLL THE AUDIENCE

PEOPLE DO THINGS SO DIFFERENTLY

COOKING

CLEANING

MERGING ON THE INTERSTATE

PEOPLE ARE EVEN DIFFERENT ON WHAT IT MEANS TO FOLLOW JESUS

THIS IS WHY THERE ARE SO MANY DENOMINATIONS AND CHURCHES

SALVATION

DAILY LIFE

SPIRITUAL HABITS

SIN

EXPECTATIONS (WEEK 3 SERMON)

YOU CAN GOOGLE ANY OPINION YOU HAVE ABOUT FOLLOWING JESUS AND FIND VERSES AND A SERMON TO BACK IT UP

THIS IS WHAT MADE THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ANGRY BACK IN THE DAY BECAUSE JESUS SAID SOME PRETTY CONTROVERSIAL THINGS THAT WERE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT PEOPLE WERE USED TO

He talked about this new way of having a relationship with God. Restoring our relationship with Him through grace and forgiveness. Not through following rules and earning grace because we never could.

HERE’S SOMETHING WE CAN ALL AGREE ON:

WHAT FOLLOWING JESUS LOOKS LIKE IS UP TO JESUS. NOT ME.

If it’s up to me I’m following me not Jesus

This is in a way what the pharasees had done at the time. They had created these extra rules that you had to follow. They had decided for themselves what following God looked like instead of looking to him.

and this is something we still do today. You scroll tik tok, instagram or go on youtube and like I said you can find a pastor, witha degree and a church that will tell you this is correct and that is wrong, then swipe one more time and find someone that says the exact opposite.

AND OFTEN TIMES WE GET MIXED UP IN WHAT JESUS WANTS OUR LIVES TO LOOK LIKE AND WHAT WE THINK OUR LIVES ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE

AND USUALLY IT’S BECAUSE WE DEFAULT BACK TO THIS:

WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO ME

This is natural. This is built into us. To try and make sense of the world and make sense of our lives. And so often we will decide to live our lives in a way that makes sense to us.

BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WHAT JESUS SAID OUR LIVES NEEDED TO LOOK LIKE GO AGAINST WHAT MAY SEEM MOST LOGICAL TO US.

JESUS SAID AND DID SOME WILD THINGS

Denying ourselves

Turning the other cheek

Forgave people that others said were unforgivable

associated with people that no one wanted to be around

gave people 77 chances

Claimed so much about himself

ALL OF THIS MADE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS MAD.

RIGHT BEFORE THE PASSAGE WE ARE GOING TO READ HE CALLED OUT THE LEADERS AND TOLD PEOPLE TO “BEWARE OF THEM”

So people are already like “THIS DUDE IS WILD”. I mean he’s calling people to something so much greater.

AND WHAT HE SAYS IN THIS PASSAGE MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE THINGS HE EVER SAID. What he says and calls you and I to in this passage is a big deal and is not meant to be taken lightly.

Right before this is the famous passage where he asks the disciples who he is, they say what people say he is but then Jesus takes it a step further and says “BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?”. And Peter says “YOU’RE THE MESSIAH”

Then right after JESUS calls Peter out for desiring what makes most sense to him over what JESUS was called to do.

Mark 8:33 CSB

33 But turning around and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”

SO even the disciples standing in front of Jesus can find themselves more concerned with what makes sense to them than what Jesus desires. So if they can run into that SO CAN YOU AND I.

AND THAT LEADS US TO OUR PASSAGE TODAY.

Mark 8:34–38 CSB

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. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 37 What can anyone give in exchange for his life? 38 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.”

DENY YOURSELF

Prioritize what Jesus does

Our desires on the back burner

Not giving into the selfish desires that we have that distract us from what God has called us to do.

Galatians 2:20 CSB

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 John 2:15 CSB

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

Willingness to sacrifice

The end of ourselves

Embracing what sacrifice really looks like

Galatians 5:24 CSB

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Matthew 11:29–30 CSB

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

FOLLOW JESUS