Living Free In Christ

Worship Songs

Living For Jesus - Thomas O. Chishom

Give Me To You - Newsboys

We Belong To Jesus - Brady Toops

The Cross Medley - The Discovery Singers

No Turning Back - Brandon Heath

Call To Worship Scripture

Luke 9:57–62 ESV

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Sermon Scripture

Luke 9:23–25 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Living Free In Christ

https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-gospels/luke

Jesus (true authority) Commissions The Twelve

Luke 1:19 ESV

And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

Luke 1:50 ESV

And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

Luke 9:1–6 ESV

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

The power and authority comes from Christ

The directive, charge, purpose and proclamation comes from Christ.

The “how to” and “what to do” comes from Christ.

The World (authority) Is Perplexed

Luke 9:7–9 ESV

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.

Luke 9:7

The disciples were obedient to Christ and the world had to take notice

The greatest work that can be done by us for Christ is that of obedience. The gospel is the freedom of obedience. It perplexes earthly authorities and reaches the uttermost villages with the gospel.

Three Key Truths:

All provision comes from Christ.

We opperate by the will of God in all situations not by percieved availibility or possibility. Thus our greatest searching daily is what is the will of God for me today, and He will provide all else.

Luke 9:10–17 ESV

On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Luke 9:10

Jesus Is The Christ of God

It is essential that we not only know this or think of Jesus as a prophet or good man or teacher, but as the Christ of God and we proclaim it. This also highlights that Jesus is not merely a healer or a get rich quick or make your life better gimic. Jesus is to be reverenced for who He is not for what you want.

Luke 9:18–20 ESV

Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Luke 9:18

Jesus Will/has Suffer/ed & Demonstrate/d Power Over Death

With this statement of Christ, all of the prior statements are brought into focus and context. We are not speaking merely of present provision, present authority or the present ministry of Christ and His followers, but Christ Himself points His followers to a Kingdom beyond death.

Luke 9:21

Jesus also demonstrates here that He is in full power over all, even over the cross.

Luke 9:21–22 ESV

And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

The Message For All:

Luke 9:23–25 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? (NIV)

“If anyone would come after me” - what is being described is a following of Jesus.

We have heard the call to:

Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

To love God with all of our heart, strength, soul, and mind and our neighbors the same.

But for what purpose are these things done? How are they done? How are we identified as Christians, as Christ followers rather than just a crowd that gathers, sees good stuff and then goes home? You have to notice a difference here. There are those who witness Christ, but never follow Christ. Those who see the great wonders of Christ but never understand who He is. Those who witness the power of Christ, taste the love of Christ but never know the freedom of Christ.

How is it then that one Repents and steps out of the relam of this worlds authority into the Kingdom of Heaven?

How is it that one takes the action of loving God with all of their being?

How is it that we become more than a crowd of spectators and join as true disiciples of Christ?

1. Deny self - To affirm that one has no connection or acquaintance with someone (as Peter’s denial of Christ.) Here it is to forget one's own self, lose sight of one's self and one's own interests.

In other words we here at the church don’t parade around the I’m a victim complex that is so prevelent in our society. To often we believe everyone else is the problem and we need to just get more in-touch with ourselves and not care about everyone else so much. “Were a victim of this and a victim of that.”

Our greatest battle is with our own selves. Our self that wants to hold onto its lust and passions. Our self that has our own will established and wants God’s will to bend to it. Our own self that cannot see beyond the five loaves in front of us or recognize that the Christ is present with us as our daily bread.

It is ourselves that read the word of God and place a “but” after the commands of Christ. It is ourselves who neglect the Word of God or put others over the commands of Christ. Listen friends, until Christ is the most prominent, most important and centric love of your life to which you are alone devoted, then you need to recognize that:

a. You are not self-controlled, or spirit-controlled but rather lust driven.

b. Your life is not in proper order.

c. You are not walking as a faithful disciple of Christ.

Matthew 10:37 ESV

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Luke 14:26 ESV

“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.

2. Take up cross (daily) - To raise or hoist up.

Take up cross - To raise or hoist up.

Daily, you take up, you lift up, you live for (not those things of the world or self) but the cross - your cross - which is the cross of Christ. We are baptized in Christ, that is identified in Christ in His death and therefore also in His resurrection. Daily we live unto this end that what we have as power for living is found alone in the cross of Christ and what hold as our lasting joy is found in the hope of the resurrection. Daily then we live by the power of the cross for the joy set before us and not for the things of this world. This is why Paul, in speaking of the certainty of the resurrection says in that, “I die every day!”

3. Follow Jesus - to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him. Become a disciple. We die every day, we take up the cross every day to know the companionship of Christ, to be identified as His. There is nothing greater for us as Christians in this world than for the world in it’s perplexed state to identify us as a follower of Christ - that my friends is our greatest gain.

Final Caution:

There is something before each of us right now which is compromising our singular allegiance and full obedience to Christ. It is that thing that if we let go of, or treat differently than what we have worked out in our head or what we can see, we fear that our world will fall apart. We will let go of so much, but that one final thread is still pulling at us and we fear that if we let that go, then all will come unraveled. If we give away those five loaves what will we have to eat? If we leave the fishing boats what job will we have for provision? If we walk as Christ commands then what company will we have to keep? But Christ says:

Luke 9:25–26 ESV

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

Luke 9:

You see, even if you get things to work out the way that you want it, what does it prophet you in hell? What can anything, anyone or any amount of stuff in this world prophet anyone if in getting it they trample upon the Son of Man, Jesus Christ the one who came to seek and save?

The question we have to answer when we wake up is, “who is going to live through me today?” Myself and my own desires or the will of God? Will I live by the power, authority and freedom of Christ Jesus and as such lift up the cross as my own and follow the teachings of Christ? Or will I list out my desires, my needs, my wants and be driven only to pursue that which is fleeting being ashamed of Christ and lusting for another?

Church, let us deny ourselves, lets take up our cross and follow Jesus. Lets perplex the world. - Amen.

OUTLINE OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE:

The Birth and Preparation of Jesus the Savior - :13The Message and Ministry of Jesus the Savior - :38The Death and Resurrection of Jesus the Savior -

https://www.thoughtco.com/gospel-of-luke-701053