Call To Discipleship

Luke 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Luke 9:24 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”

Tension in The Text - Our flesh opposes God

That’s why

1John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Many times, WE are our own worst enemy. We become imprisoned by our own selfish desires and, unless we are rescued, our sin will lead to our own destruction not "liberty."

Proposition Statement

Three conditions of discipleship are laid out.

Let him deny himself (Self Denial)

The first requirement involves a need to deny oneself. This is much more radical than simply a denial of certain things.

This mandates a rejection of a life based on self-interest and self-fulfillment.

Instead a disciple is to be one who seeks to fulfill the will and the teachings of Christ. Another metaphor to express this act of commitment is to hate one’s own life.

19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Don't I have the right to do as I please with my own body? — No, you have no moral right, because you are violating the laws of life and health which God has given you.

You are the Lord’s property, — his by creation and his by redemption. Every human being is under obligation to preserve the living machinery that is so fearfully and wonderfully made.

You do not have the right to do as you please with your body, it is not your own. You have been bought with a price.

Temple

Much time, energy, rare materials, gold, silver precious jewels were devoted to Erecting the tabernacle, Solomon's Temple, Ezras temple and then Herod's Temple. They were glorious in their beauty but not for show these temples were they were filled with the blood of animals that were offered as sacrifices for worship unto God.

(John 14:23). Your body is the temple of God. Be careful where it goes. Be careful what it does. Be careful what it ponders. Be careful how it reacts.

Idols

2 Corinthians 6:16-1816 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN.

God is the owner of the whole man. Soul, body, and spirit are his.

When you came to Jesus, You made a commitment to submit to His Word.

Jesus makes the promise (John 14:15-26) “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever –the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). With the Spirit indwelling you, every word, every thought, and every deed is in His view. The Holy Spirit knows you. He knows your strengths and your weaknesses. He knows your sinful acts and your holy deeds. He knows you better than you do.

We therefore must realize our responsibility to guard the temple of God from defilement of sin, from the indulgence of appetite or from sinful practice, the body which is designed to represent God to the world.

Ye are bought with a price

A- you are not your own

B- treasure in you- guard it

C- flee youthful lusts

"Flee from idolatry!" (1 Cor. 10:14). Self worship is idolatry. Over indulging in the flesh is self worship.

define idolatry- excess adoration or devotion, obsession with something. This idol is your flesh.

No good thing in the flesh, who shall deliver me from the body of is death. It is a trap. A prison. You are imprisoned by self.

Indu

13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

When you mess with idols of the Flesh you arouse demons that are attached to idols.

Don't go around trying things!!! You run the risk of awakening feelings. Heighten desires!!! While desensitizing your spirituality and relationship with God.

Flee Fornication

15Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

THe Solution for lust is to flee

"Flee fornication!" (1 Cor. 6:18)

"Flee also youthful lusts!" (2 Tim. 2:22).

Here this- Your flesh is imprisoned by its appetite!!!

We all have an appetite for Sin, and the Devil knows your weakness is the appetite of your flesh.

Here is the revelation of the appetite for SIN: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires [or appetites] and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

Paul exclaimed, “O wretched man that I am! WHO will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).

Victory Through Submission

Then Paul gave THE answer: “I thank God; through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). ONLY JESUS... can deliver us from the power of sin and death!

Jesus WON the ultimate victory over sin and death.....

when He died on the cross as payment for sin (Ephesians 1:7)

and broke the bonds of death through His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

WE can share in His victory through our submission to His will: believing in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). Then, if we will continue to walk in the light of His Word, we, too, will be victorious.

Jesus won the victory of the flesh through submission to the Spirit.

Living Sacrifice

1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:1-2)

A dead sacrifice can only be offered once . a living sacrifice is a Continuous sacrifice.

Living sacrifice... Not dead. Better than a dead sacrifice because it is offered willingly. But the problem with a live sacrifice is that it keeps coming off the altar.

Holy acceptable

Reasonable service.

Rom8:1 walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.

Sacrifice of praise

Sacrifice time

Sacrifice finances

Good and acceptable and PERFECT Will of God- The perfect , acceptable will of God is TEMPLE SACRIFICE.

Definition of sacrifice

1 to give up or to let go: drop, lose, kiss goodbye, surrender

2 To deny ones self: sacrifice, abstinence , rejection,

3 To bless: confirm, consecrate, dedicate, exalt, glorify, offer, to give thanks to, praise.

1 to give up or to let go: drop, lose, kiss goodbye, surrender

Lay aside every weight, Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching. I press forward.

and Self Denial means - To deny ones self: sacrifice, abstinence , rejection,

Instead of Giving in to the appetite of the flesh, we are commanded to Glorify God in our Bodies!

The text says- Therefore GLORIFY GOD in your bodies

To Glorify means to to bless: confirm, consecrate, dedicate, exalt, glorify, offer, to give thanks to, praise.

To Gorify God is more than just something we do for during praise and worship service

Worship is SACRIFICE. It is the way we live.

Worship is 24/7

Hebrews 13:15-16By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

My Praise is my REASONABLE Service- Fair (after all he has done), Sensible (not foolish, I praise him because I understand, I realize, I praise him because "I GET IT" do you get it),

This temple was made to sacrifice and be sacrificed- Whole duty of man fear(Reverence, worship, praise) Keep his commandment.

1.Reverence-Honor

2.Obedience- as opposed to being disobedient- (witchcraft) Devil's sin lack of worship

Take up Your Cross Daily

The way to Live for God is by dying to self

21¶From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24¶Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Jesus Christ set forth our example when he layed down his life. He said nevertheless less not my wil

But thine be done.

Humbled himself even to the death of the cross. He sacrificed his life to preserve our existence. It was the sacrifice of his Temple.

The apostles understood this first hand and were willing to follow suit by sacrificing their very bodies and life for the existence and preservation of truth and righteousness and the apostolic message.

In a devil influenced society where the slogan is "do what though wilt." The slogan for the church should be "Deny myself, Take Up My Cross, and Follow Him."

Mark 15:37-38

37And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

He laid it all on the Altar, Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?

Jesus died and gave up the Ghost. Something gets released when you die.

Application

The second condition involves the need to take up one’s cross.

Jesus’ own crucifixion reveals more fully to Luke’s readers that this call is for a commitment unto death.

There needs to be willingness to suffer martyrdom if need be.

Luke 14:27 “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

LUKE 23:26, where Simon of Cyrene takes up the cross and follows Jesus.

Luke added the need to do this “daily.” Whereas Mark emphasized the initial act of denying oneself once and for all (Mark 8:34), Luke goes a little further in an emphasis on the need to make such a commitment each day.

Follow me

The final condition is the need to follow Jesus.

In contrast to the other conditions this verb is a present imperative, indicating that following Jesus must be continual. For this metaphor see comments on

Luke 5:11“And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.”

9:24 This saying is an example of both antithetical and chiasmic parallelism: A = save; B = lose; b = lose; a = save. There is also a pun, in that the first use of “save” means a failure to deny oneself, but the second means to receive eternal life (cf. John 12:25). Conversely, to “lose” in the first instance means to suffer the judgment of hell, but in the second it means to deny oneself.

This verse is also an example of paradox.

For whoever wants to save his life. This is the opposite of Luke 9:23. Compare 17:33.

Loses his life. To lose one’s life is to be equated not with Christian martyrdom but with the fulfillment of the three conditions given in 9:23. On rare occasions this may lead to martyrdom, but one can fulfill the conditions of 9:23 without suffering martyrdom.

For me. In Mark’s parallel “and the gospel” (Mark 8:35) is added, emphasizing that commitment to Jesus involves a commitment to his teachings as well. By not including this statement, Luke focused attention more upon Jesus’ person. Nevertheless, being ashamed of Jesus’ teachings is equivalent to being ashamed of Jesus himself (Luke 9:26). Once again Jesus was claiming that the eternal state of humanity depends on a relationship to him. See comments on 7:23.