Sermon Tone Analysis

Christians have many sayings that you might often hear.

One of these sayings is deny yourself and take up your cross daily.

No doubt this is an important scripture for every believer.

Taking up your cross daily is something that every true disciple of Christ must do.

However what does that mean?

In our modern day context we may find it hard to understand the concept of taking up your cross daily.

For Christians then we must figure out what this truly means and live this truth out.

My hope today is that we figure out what this means.

Not only do we figure this out, but we live it out.

That being said I have titled this message Marks of a true disciple.

What does it look like today to take up your cross and why it is important to understand what it looked like when this was written.

If you would open up your Bibles to Luke chapter 9 verses 23-29 When we picture the cross we cant help but see Christ hanging from it.

Scripture tells us that Christ took up his own cross on his way to be crucified.

Today as we study this text we must look at it with an understanding of Christ taking up his own cross...... says, 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.25

For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Power word of God.

This text is a powerful reminder as sinful fallen people, that we need to take up our cross, not just once or twice a year or on Sundays or Wednesday nights but each and every day.

I have several points today from this text

Point 1 A true Disciple will deny themselves daily.

repeat

Point 1 A true Disciple will deny themselves daily.

Look closely again at verse 23.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

The image of the cross was most likely a scary thought to listeners of Christ.

I am sure that people listening to Christ here had loved ones who died on the cross.

The Romans used this method to execute people who commited crimes.

This method was not one that killed someone quickly it could even take days for someone to die.

It was a brutal way to be killed.

Death was always a reality for the disciples, and for many Christians across the globe it is as well.

For modern day Christians in America death is often not thought about, ] in everyday life.

Christians in the western world often fail to see the reality of the true cost of following Christ.

When we do this we become selfish in our ways.

Their is a cost of following Christ, and we must learn to deny ourself’s each and every day.

If we turn to our right just a few pages we see what this looks like in everyday life.

....

It says…

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Notice a few things in this passage.

Jesus is not saying that you must hate your parents or spouse or children to follow him, but what he is saying that if you are going to follow Christ, he be must be first.

Again in this passage he focuses on taking up ones cross .

Finally one must renounce all if they are going to follow Christ .

The Christian life cannot be marked by selfishness.

Charles Spurgeon said There are no crown wearer in heaven who were not cross bearers here below.

Taking up your cross daily is not a suggestion, it is something the Lord commanded us to do so.

Denying ourselves and our own desires may cost us everything in this life, but Christ is worth it.

As the church we are to deny ourselves by putting others needs in front of our own desires.

We are to manage our time for the betterment of the body.

Personally we are to watch our own selfish tendencies and see how this is effecting our walk with God.

We want to eliminate things that are causing us to not deny ourselves.

A true mark of a disciple is that of denying oneself daily.

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

27 qWhoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

33 uSo therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Point 1 A true disciple will deny themselves daily.

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

27 qWhoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

2

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

27 qWhoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

33 uSo therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.25