Voluntary Hardship

Story: I really took notice of the process of voluntary hardship at 34 1/2 years of age when I took up a new hobby – barbell training. The concept of barbell training is to progressively add more and more weight to the bar to promote muscle adaptation (progressive overload). It’s a type of anaerobic exercise, that involve short bursts of intense movement.

At 34 years of age I took up a new hobby – barbell training. The concept of barbell training is to progressively add more and more weight to the bar to promote muscle adaptation (progressive overload). It’s a type of anaerobic exercise, that involve short bursts of intense movement.

The results of my stint into barbell training have been far more than I was expecting. There have been physical adaptations – I can pickup more weight now than before. But I there have been a few more mental adaptations/growth that I wasn’t expecting:

– I can face hardship a little bit easier (controlling my temper, frustration levels)

– I have a bit more courage (set PR’s)

– I am a bit more humble (overconfidence killer)

The concept of voluntary hardship is a common concept. Great minds of the Greeks, like that of the philosopher Sencha and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Boot Camp military training and even Yoda on Dagobah all believed in voluntary hardship:

The concept of voluntary hardship is a common concept. Great minds of the Greeks like that of Sencha and Marcus Aurelius, Boot Camp military training and even Yoda on Dagobah all believed in voluntary hardship:

[Slide]

Yoda: “Mysterious are the ways of the Force.” Luke: “Did you just make me stand on my head for two hours because I was annoying you?” Yoda: “Very mysterious.”

It’s also a Biblical concept. From the earliest of times God has asked His people to endure hardship for Him: Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, all were asked to do endure difficult things for God – for the good of God’s Kingdom and for their own good.

2 Timothy 2:3 NKJV

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:1–5 TNIV

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs; rather, they try to please their commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.

2 Timothy 2:1–3 ESV

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

I. Context

Jesus speaks of His submission to God’s will and the Cross (vs. 31-33)

Key ingredient necessary in following Jesus [Slide]

Mark 8:34–38 TNIV

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? Or what can you give in exchange for your soul? If any of you are ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

3. Observations

Notice the redundancy in vs. 34, “If anyone desires to follow behind me…let him follow me.”

Notice the redundancy in verse 34, “If anyone desires to follow behind me…let him follow me.”

“Let him follow me” = Does not inform us how to follow

It signals all the focus on the two commands in the middle - “Let him deny himself and take up his cross.”

Transition: So, we are going to spend some time tonight talking about these two phrases. [Slide]

II. What Does It Mean To ‘Take Up Your Cross’?

*What would it signify if you were to take up your cross (not someone else’s)?

“For” = Because

[Slide - 5 Total] What would it signify if you were to take up your cross (not someone else’s)? At least four things:

Opposition: A cross was used to execute criminals who had the state of Rome in opposition to them.

I. What does ‘Take Up Your Cross’ Mean? For or Because

What would it signify if you were to take up your cross (not someone else’s)? At least four things:

Shame: This execution was reserved for the worst criminals, and the victim was usually naked on a cross for hours.

1. Opposition: A cross was used to execute criminals who had the state of Rome in opposition to them.

Suffering: This kind of execution was designed to prolong excruciating pain.

2. Shame: This execution was reserved for the worst criminals, and the victim was usually naked on a cross for hours.

Death: The aim of crucifixion was death, not torture followed by release.

When Jesus said that the way to follow him was to take up our cross, he meant at least this:

3. Suffering: This kind of execution was designed to prolong excruciating pain.

4. Death: The aim of crucifixion was death, not torture followed by release.

Be willing (without murmuring, or God-criticism, or cowardice) to be opposed, to be shamed, to suffer, and to die — all for your allegiance to him – endure voluntary hardship for Jesus!

Therefore, when Jesus said that the way to follow him was to take up our cross, he meant at least this:

To “take up your cross” meant to treasure Jesus more than we treasure human approval, honor, comfort, and life.

Be willing (without murmuring, or God-criticism, or cowardice) to be opposed, to be shamed, to suffer, and to die — all for your allegiance to him – endure voluntary hardship for Jesus!

Or, to go to the heart of the matter,

Our suffering is not a tribute to Jesus unless we endure it because we cherish Jesus.

To “take up your cross” meant to treasure Jesus more than we treasure human approval, honor, comfort, and life. Our suffering is not a tribute to Jesus unless we endure it because we cherish Jesus. Taking up our cross means Jesus has become more precious to us than approval, honor, comfort, and life.

Taking up our cross means Jesus has become more precious to us than approval, honor, comfort, and life.

III. How Do We Take Up Our Cross?

II. How do we take up our cross? Deny ourselves – voluntary hardship

Something must happen to us for us to be willing to take up our cross

[Slide - 3 Total] The war within:

Old Self: Looks at the opposition, shame, suffering, and death Jesus calls for, it says, “No! I will not do that!”

That old self loves human approval, honor, comfort, and life more than it loves Jesus.

New Self: Says, “I love Jesus more than human approval, honor, comfort, and life, so, I am ready to endure opposition, shame, suffering, and death.”

That’s the command of verse 34: You are a new self... Act Like It

What’s the difference? When the old, denied self

But the new, denying

Deny the old, comfort-craving self and embrace the superior joy of knowing Jesus, no matter how high the cost on this earth = Voluntary Hardship

That’s the command of verse 34: You are a new self. Act like it. Deny the old, comfort-craving self and embrace the superior joy of knowing Jesus, no matter how high the cost on this earth.

[Slide - 5 Total] Four Logical Reasons:

III. Four Logical Reasons

If you loose your life you will save it (vs. 35)

1. Loose your life to save it (vs. 35)

There is zero profit in gaining the entire world and loosing your soul (vs. 36)

2. Zero Profit (vs. 36)

Your soul/eternal destiny is beyond price (vs. 37)

3. Nothing Can Buy Your Soul (vs. 37)

Our actions have a price (vs. 38)

Verse 35: Whoever loses his soul for my sake and the gospel’s . . . [will save his soul]

4. Ashamed of Jesus (vs. 38)

Verse 38: Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words . . . [will lose his soul]

a. The pursuit of riches in this world goes hand-in-hand with being ashamed of Jesus and His Words

Notice one other connection between verses 38 and 35.

Verse 35: whoever loses his soul for my sake and the gospel’s . . . [will save his soul]

Verse 38: whoever is ashamed of me and of my words . . . [will lose his soul]

Conclusion:

This parallel shows that losing our life in this world for Jesus’s sake means embracing gladly whatever shame — whatever embarrassment, humiliation, or degradation — the world heaps on us for standing by Jesus and his unpopular words.

Voluntary hardship for Jesus is practice of opting for what’s best over what’s comfortable by choosing to face avoidable hardship.

Embracing gladly whatever shame — whatever embarrassment, humiliation, or degradation — the world heaps on us for standing by Jesus and his unpopular words.

The practice of opting for what’s best over comfort by choosing to face avoidable adversities.

loosing our life for Jesus’ sake means embracing gladly whatever shame — whatever embarrassment, humiliation, or degradation — the world heaps on us for standing by Jesus and his unpopular words.

It is treasuring Jesus and the gospel more than life itself. The mark of the new self in verse 38 is that it treasures Jesus and his words more than a lifetime of glory in this world.

Taking up our cross means that this old praise-craving self has died. And a new self has come into being. The mark of this new self in verse 35 is that it treasures Jesus and the gospel more than life itself. The mark of the new self in verse 38 is that it treasures Jesus and his words more than a lifetime of glory in this world.

The deepest hindrance to following Jesus is not the love of money. It is deeper. Money is only a material means to our craved emotion. What we really want to avoid is being humiliated, being disrespected, being shamed. And what we really want is to be honored and praised and made much of.

Questions:

1. What is the hardest thing that you have ever done?

– Did you enjoy it?

– Was it worth it in the end?

2. What hardships, if any, have you voluntarily endured for Jesus?

– How did this act of voluntary hardship grow your faith?

– How did God use your hardship for His kingdom?

3. What hardships do you see God asking you to endure right now? In the near future?

– What do you need so that you can endure those hardships faithfully?

4. What voluntary hardships can you be actively engaged in for the kingdom?

Example: fasting, extended prayer, giving of your time, talents and treasure, etc.

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