What's the most Important Thing You Own

Scripture

34-

Mark 8:34–37 ESV

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?

Introduction

Ask what is the most important thing you own?

Maybe demonstrate some of mine !

phone, car,

What is yours?

The most important thing you own is your soul?

Everything else is temporary. Your soul is eternal.

What is your soul?

Simply stated, the human soul is the part of a person that is not physical. It is the part of every human being that lasts eternally after the body experiences death.

It has been said that there are only two things that last: the Word of God () and the souls of men.

Every person you meet is an eternal soul. Every human being who has ever lived is a soul, and all of those souls are still in existence somewhere. The question is, where?

God is calling us to do 3 things

Deny Ourselves

Mark 8:34 ESV

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

We live in a society today where it is all about me, myself and I

We want to have any and everything for ourselves

Our life is our own so whatever makes us happy that is what we do

Life is all about my dreams, my aspirations, my desires

Follow your dreams is what the world says to you today.

Not every dream you have is God given

A lot of our dreams are selfish in nature

want to get rich and be the richest man in Barrackpore

I have a dream to travel the world and see all the nice places out there

I have a dream to be the most successful footballer in the world.

In Genesis we read about a man by the name of Joseph who had a dream that almost cost him his life.

There is nothing wrong with having dreams or having plans for your life etc but when Jesus says we deny ourselves it means we dont live life for ourselves but we live our lives for him and if my dreams dont align with his dreams for me then I deny myself those things because he knows what is best

Illustration

It is to renounce the self as the dominant element in life. It is to replace the self with God-in-Christ as the object of affections. It is to place the divine will before self-will" (New American Commentary, Mark).

Application

What are you holding on to in this life?

Have you learnt to deny yourself pleasures of this life for treasures in the life to come?

Calender and Cheque book

Where is your money and your time going?

Those will show what you value.

Ask The Father not my will but yours be done

Take up his cross

God is calling us to take up our cross

Does this mean i need to go and get a big cross that we see in the Passion of the Christ and go gulf city or go beach or anywhere I go have this big big cross with me?

Is that what he means?

Life Application Bible Commentary, Mark Jesus Predicts His Death the First Time / 8:31–9:1 / 110

To take up [the] cross was a vivid illustration of the humility and submission Jesus asked of his followers. When Jesus used this picture of his followers taking up their crosses to follow him, the disciples, the people, and the Romans (Mark’s original audience) knew what taking up the cross meant. Death on a cross was a form of execution used by Rome for dangerous criminals. A prisoner carried his own cross to the place of execution, signifying submission to Rome’s power. Following Jesus, therefore, meant identifying with Jesus and his followers, facing social and political oppression and ostracism, and no turning back. For some, taking up the cross might indeed mean death. But Jesus’ words meant that his followers had to be prepared to obey God’s Word and follow his will no matter what the consequences for the sake of the gospel (8:35)

Illustration

Today we have mis represented what the cross is about

A lot of people wear this as a fashion statement

Have it on their necks, their cars, some even tatoo it on their bodies

The cross wasnt a glamorous thing as we make it out today

Billy Graham in his sermon the offence of the cross

When Jesus said, "If you are going to follow me, you have to take up a cross," it was the same as saying, "Come and bring your electric chair with you. Take up the gas chamber and follow me." He did not have a beautiful gold cross in mind--the cross on a church steeple or on the front of your Bible. Jesus had in mind a place of execution.

Follow Jesus and all will go smoothly with you

That’s a big lie

You will lose friends , You will become lonely at times , You will be persecuted

Following Jesus comes at a big cost

Application

Life Application Bible Commentary, Mark Jesus Predicts His Death the First Time / 8:31–9:1 / 110

Christians follow their Lord by imitating his life and obeying his commands. To take up the cross meant to carry your own cross to the place where you would be killed. Many Galileans had been killed that way by the Romans. Applied to the disciples, to take up the cross meant to identify completely with Christ’s message, even if death were to result. We must deny our selfish desires to use our time and money our own way and to choose our own direction in life without regard to Christ. Following Christ is costly now, but we are promised true victory and eternal rewards.

Life Application Bible Commentary, Mark Jesus Predicts His Death the First Time / 8:31–9:1 / 110

We must deny our selfish desires to use our time and money our own way and to choose our own direction in life without regard to Christ. Following Christ is costly now, but we are promised true victory and eternal rewards.

Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means persecution?

Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means poverty?

Are you willing to follow Jesus even if it means death?

There are a lot of Christians who have the look but they are really wolves in sheep’s clothing.

A lot of hypocrites pose as Christians today.

Share story about hypocrites in church when gun men came in

All of us have a cross. In fact, most of us have more than one. There is some work, some ministry Christ wants you to take up for him, to do in his name. It’s a cross, a work that you freely choose and that demands much of you. Will you take it up?

Follow Me

Jesus is calling us to follow him

Same instructions he gave the disciples he gives it to us as well

He didn’t say follow this man or that man - he said follow me

The disciples left all that they had to follow him

They didnt know what they were about to experience but they followed him

It cost them their lives basically to follow Jesus

There is a cost to following Jesus

It cost cost you friends, family, your job or even your life

There are also rewards

All of us have a cross. In fact, most of us have more than one. There is some work, some ministry Christ wants you to take up for him, to do in his name. It’s a cross, a work that you freely choose and that demands much of you. Will you take it up?

Mark 10:30 ESV

who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

The songwriter says I have decided to follow Jesus

Though none go with me yet still i’ll follow

The world behind me and the cross before me

You take the whole world but give me Jesus

If Jesus is all you have then you have all you need!!

Mark 8:35 ESV

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Life Application Bible Commentary, Mark Jesus Predicts His Death the First Time / 8:31–9:1 / 110

The Christian life is a paradox: to attempt to save your life means only to lose it.

Life Application Bible Commentary, Mark Jesus Predicts His Death the First Time / 8:31–9:1 / 110

A person who “saves” his or her life in order to satisfy desires and goals apart from God ultimately “loses” life. Not only does that person lose the eternal life offered only to those who believe and accept Christ as Savior, but he or she loses the fullness of life promised to those who believe.

Life Application Bible Commentary, Mark Jesus Predicts His Death the First Time / 8:31–9:1 / 110

By contrast, those who willingly “lose” their lives for the sake of Christ and of the gospel (that is, God’s kingdom) actually “save” them.

Illustration

Application

Can you follow him if it means having to preach in Beetham

Or having to go to ISIS

Can you follow him if it means that girl you like will find you unattractive

Can you follow him if it means living in a small house instead of a big one