There is no other way…

There is no Other way 7/26/26

EQ: What does it mean for our identity to be in Christ?

Story of people who want to be associated with people because of what being associated with them means

Foundational Text…

Mark 8:34–38 “And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “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.””

After the Passion of Christ scene

Explain how Jesus had a choice, and he chose the Cross to save us from our sins because he loved and loves us!

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Deny…

Denial of Self involves a crucifixion to self and its wants

Deny: A refusal to recognize or acknowledge ones own self, or to say no to self

Who is Self we are Denying

Three Part being

Body (House)

Soul (Control center of the will, personal identity and self consciousness)

Spirit ( Immaterial part of us that we cant see that facilitates communion with God)

Soul:

Greek: psychē

This is our english word for Psychology

Psychology is the study of the MIND

“The problem is the soul is the mind that was born and shaped in iniquity, that is in need of a redemptive makeover” Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”

The psychē (Soul) is the control center of affections, desires proclivities

The Soul is what makes you who you are.

In The Soul lies..

Mans desire for food

lust after what we want

The thirst for murder and revenge

Emotions/Feelings

Houses knowledge and understanding, Love memory all originate in the Soul

“To Deny ones self”

To Deny self is to disown, crucify, forget your natural way of thinking and operating

Denying the Things you want to do, putting to death the things that dont please God. Colossians 3:5–6 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,”

Example:

Old Mindsets

Habits

Pursuits

Passions

What you may want that God does not permit

“Our natural mind or soul is the mind of the enemy, For God is made manifest to us in our spirit” Romans 8:7 “because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,”

The Practical:

Deny your world view (How you view, approach, operate life.. and adopt Christ worldview by gazing upon the CROSS and what it meant and means

The Cross means his Disciples must to Crucify the old man deny myself and sacrifice and follow him just as he sacrificed for me.

Pick up Thy Cross…

Christ calls us to pick up our cross! (Instrument of Sacrifice and commitment)

Cross = Crucifixion

Crucifixion (to Crucify): To execute, kill by hanging on the cross

Christ calls us to live the crucified life Galatians 5:24–25 “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

We must Crucify…

our passions

pursuits

desires

wants

needs

natural affections

pleasure

The Cross is your New Identity!! (Sacrifice)

“To Identify with Christ is to be crucified with Christ.” 2 Timothy 2:12 “If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;” Galatians 2:20 ““I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.”

What is being Crucified to the Cross…

The Old Self (Soul:psychē- Mind and actions), along with its desires and passions

After that old man/woman (way of doing things) is crucified (Rejected and killed) to the cross we must pick up our own cross and follow (Obey) Jesus and his way of doing things.

What was on Jesus’s Cross…

The Sins of us and all mankind and there they remain

Whats on our Cross…

Our old self that is dying to get off the cross and pull us back to where we came from.

Daily Crucifixion 1 Corinthians 15:31 “I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”

What does The Cross symbolize…

Place of death to sin and its grip

Place of death to the old man

Sacrifice

Pain

Isolation

Jesus great sacrifice for all mankind

Discipleship

The walk of faith

Where we cross over from death to life… from Soul to spirit

Jesus expects his followers to die to our way of thinking crucify the old man and its passions to the cross pick up the cross and follow him and his teachings and his way, this is Discipleship.

Pick up your new identity

pick up Sacrifice

pick up love

pick up humility

pick up everything Jesus displayed on earth by way of discipleship by way of the cross.

Young Rich ruler vs True Disciples…

Young rich ruler

Matthew 19:17–26 “And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””

He gave up almost everything

Earthly pleasure through his cash appeased him more than the kingdom of temporal suffering and eternal glory

He wanted mere affiliation not costly discipleship

The Disciples:

Matthew 19:27–29 “Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

They gave up everything

They wanted life and were willing to sacrifice all for the sake of following and knowing Christ

This is Discipleship forsake self crucify self to find life in obeying Jesus.

One way…

John 14:6–7 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

The way to life is through Jesus

“Jesus bids us to come follow him, but he bids us to come and die to our old self for him to give us all life in him”

Follow…

Jesus Calls us to follow him not associate with him

Follow is a Verb

Verb (Action word)

The reader must do something

Follow (Akoloutheō) means to obey, go after, in pursuit of

To follow Jesus is to obey his teachings

“When we see Jesus in his glory the bid to follow Jesus becomes glorious and an honor becoming more attractive, and the world thats fading away becomes less attractive”

The Worldly Tug…

Live forself

become self made

pursue worldly identity marked by:

Notoriety

publicity

fame

fortune

revelry

licentiousness

drunkardness

eliteism

comfortable life

pleasure on every hand

plenty of money

It promises Joy and fulfillment or so they thought

Just ask Michael and Whitney, and Kate Spade (millionaires, but death by suicide)

“To Cling and depend on such things so desperatley and identifying with them to save your life or give you life… is trading in earthly life (gain) for eternal death (eternal seperation from Jesus)

“To anwser the call of death to self (Discipleship) means I lose some things (comforts, pleasure, people) on earth… to save my life for eternity.

THIS IS THE GREAT EXCHANGE

We can be made new…

Romans 12:1–4 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”.

Our souls can be redeemed but it must be crucified by responding to the call of discipleship Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Choose this day who you will serve Joshua 24:15 ““If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.””

Joshua made reference to choosing between Yahweh the one true God or pagan Gods

Jesus Says choose to live for self and die or Die for him and live… for there is no other way!

If you reject discipleship and are ashamed to be a disciple he will be ashamed of you before his father…

Considering what Jesus did on Calvary why choose this earth when he gave his life so we can life

He just says follow me what you endure is temporary but the glory to come is forever… I will make you fishers of men and more like me..

dont choose temporary comfort and relief for an eternity of wheeping and gnashing to do so is to SPIT on the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ

Either you are a bold itching (uncomfortable) disciple or you are a comfortable coward who falls comfortably to peril