The Way of Jesus: The Way of Self-denial.

Introduction.

We have spent the last 5 weeks in the series contemplating the way of Jesus.

Today, I pose a significant question for all of us that we have perhaps assumed an answer to, but have not asked you to address head on.

Do you want to follow Jesus?

By the end of this time of teaching, I hope that some of you will honestly realize the answer is no.

I don’t say that because I want you to turn away from following him.

I say that because I want you to have a real sense of your relationship to Jesus.

Many of us are Christ-followers in the sense and style of Facebook and Instagram.

We aren’t Christ-like. We’re Christ-likers.

We follow Jesus like we follow an influencer’s page. We follow Jesus like we follow the career of a favorite athlete or favorite musician.

We are tuned in for big news and new album releases. We remember fondly the first time we saw them in concert. We love to tell people about our chance meeting with them a decade ago.

Cooper Kupp. Last Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Frank - He went to Eastern.

We feel comfortable mentioning our connection to him when he’s doing well. Might even make the sacrifice to buy a jersey. When it comes to emulating his way of life, we’re not going to get off the couch on a Sunday afternoon.

Repeat the question- Do you want to follow Jesus?

Our hope in this series is that you gain clarity around your identity as a Christ follower.

Message today is on one of the hardest aspects of being people of Jesus’ way. Today we are talking about the Jesus’s leading us on the way of self-denial.

The Denial of Self-denial.

Now I know this is a hard teaching because its not a sermon that gets preached often. In fact, there are false teachers who teach against it. The prosperity gospel stands almost directly in opposition to the message.

The reason they teach against self denial is its easier to grow your following and enrich yourself with a message that makes the destination the pathway.

Much false Christian teaching today takes the destination, the place the Way leads to, and presents it as the journey.

The promise of God, through Christ, that we will be healthy, joyful, at peace, strong, free, wealthy, and so many more things, becomes the path they teach, rather than the destination we have assured for us.

As people, who are by sinful nature self-centered and self-serving above all, that path is so appealing. It feeds our ego and entitlement. But it is a message that lets goats think they’re sheep. Weeds think they’re wheat. Christ-likers think they’re Christ-like.

One famous, present day teacher has gone so far as to say that people who teach self-denial are from Satan.

Some of you know your Bible well enough to know how clearly wrong that statement is. There happens to be a key figure in Christianity, by the name of Jesus, who repeatedly and clearly called for self-denial if you wanted to be his follower.

And yet, that false teacher still has a half million followers on Instagram. Mostly people who would say they are Christ-followers.

The Way of Jesus: The Way of Self-denial.

Now some of you may be thinking, how do we know you’re telling the truth, Jordan? Calling someone a false teacher seems like something a false teacher would do.

Excellent question! Super valid.

Anytime we hear something taught by man, we should go to Scripture. And we don’t want to see things cherry picked from Scripture, we want to see passages that support and reinforce and establish what is being taught.

Key verse for today:

Matthew 16:24–27 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Its pretty plain isn’t it.

Jesus confronts us with that very question-

IF you want to follow me, choose to deny yourself and take up your cross.

My hopes for today, and really for all of this series-

I want us to have an honest and sometimes difficult evaluation of our hearts that brings us to a place of deciding if we really want to be Christ-followers.

For those of you who respond with uncertainty or even a “no”, I want to offer hope and an appeal.

For those of you who respond “yes”, whether cautiously or enthusiastically, I want to offer some help for the journey.

Jesus addresses some of those things directly-

First, he asks, do you want to follow him?

Then, he offers the pathway- deny yourself, and take up a cross, which is an instrument of killing the flesh, and walk behind him.

This is the first promise of Jesus for his followers in their self-denial:

Jesus’s First Promise For His Followers: He Will Lead The Way.

Implicit in the idea of following someone on a journey is the notion that someone is leading.

A bad leader on the journey is a dangerous thing, but a good leader offers enormous confidence.

Meghan and I’s honeymoon- “banana plantation visit”.

A lot of false teachers are leading people who want to follow Christ on journey’s like that.

The outcome of Jesus’s life speaks to his success as a leader on his Way. He accomplished all that he came to do. He fulfilled God’s plan for his life. He changed lives. He saved lives. Ultimately he conquered death and sin.

We should be reassured and excited by the leader we follow.

Pause here- I think sometimes when we feel un-led and unguided in our walk with Christ, it is because we aren’t following his way.

If you are at that point and you don’t feel like you have direction and leading from the Holy Spirit in your life, consider whether you are faithfully following in Jesus’s way.

Jesus’s Way tells us that he’ll be leading us.

Not only that, he gives us other hopes in our own self-denial.

Jesus’s Second Promise For His Followers: He Will Be With Us.

The beauty of following Jesus is that we do not do it by ourselves.

This is an amazing promise because it has two layers to it.

2 Layers:

The journey of self-denial is not a lonely one.

The journey is not completed by our own power.

Jesus promises us that he and God will be with us when we deny ourselves.

The whole point of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was to do what only God could do.

Our flesh, the old self, is impossible for us to be free of on our own.

Even when we are following in Jesus’s way we need him there with us to ensure we don’t get tripped up.

When we do get tripped up, its good to have a sympathetic companion who is willing to help us to our feet and can walk with us as we seek to regain our footing.

Jesus’s Third Promise For His Followers: Self-Denial Offers Immeasurable Reward.

The deceit of this world is that Christian self-denial is foregoing things of value for things ethereal and inconsequential.

Jesus calls that notion out as a lie.

What good does it gain you, if you have everything in this world, but lose your soul.

Jesus understood the simple math of God’s goodness- better is 1 day in God’s courts, then 1,000 elsewhere.

He also understood the reality of eternity better than we can. We’re trading a smattering of days here for 10,000 years.

My life as a Christian took one of its most meaningful and fruitful turns when I realized how good God was.

I grew up in a Christian home and there wasn’t a day where the reality of God wasn’t present in my mind. God was powerful. God was just. God was all knowing. God was even loving and merciful.

Somehow those things never connected into the reality of God’s goodness. It wasn’t until I saw that throughout Scripture, a central idea is that God is so good, and so desirable and so joy inspiring, that my faith came alive and I really felt like I had a message to share.

At the end times, the Bible talks about how before the throne of God and Christ, EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue will confess.

The Bible does not say that those words will be beaten out of everyone.

The very experience and presentation of God and Christ will fill every person with that confession. Something about the recognition of God and Jesus there will inspire us in such a way that spontaneous worship breaks out even among the most ardent unbeliever.

Ponder that goodness. Ponder that experience.

When in your life has your response to something almost exploded from you? I think this is the reality of heaven and hell.

Everyone will have the same response to God and Christ. Something so beautiful and perfect and delightful and awe inspiring that those words are pulled from our souls. Some, the followers of Jesus, will get to immerse in that experience forever.

Others, are torn away from it, having seen and tasted but left without it for an eternity.

Certainly there are many other clear benefits to heaven. Feasting, no more pain, perfected health, no sorrow, no fear, restored bodies, fellowship and relationship with God, with others. Each of those is richness on richness.

Its why Jesus’s call to self-denial is ultimately arriving in a destination of great self-fulfillment.

What Does Jesus Mean By Self-Denial?

If Jesus doesn’t mean much is required of us when he calls us to self-denial, then its really not that big of a deal to follow him.

This is where it gets challenging. This is where I want to call us out and ask you to really examine your answer.

What Does Jesus Mean By Self-Denial?

If we were to define self-denial, I think we could use a famous phrase from when Jesus taught us to pray- “not my will but yours”.

The call to self denial is a call to lay down everything that limits our commitment to following Jesus.

Self-Denial Means Everything.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

2 Indicators He Means Everything:

Losing your life is not something you split hairs on. Jesus does not call us into some half-death. He does not reference the image of slowly bleeding out over a lifetime of serving.

The cross doesn’t let you hold on to anything. Picking up the cross, as Jesus asks us to choose, demands an acknowledgement that the choice leads to the end of our lives.

You may feel like this is a stretch but Jesus does not give much room to believe otherwise.

Does Jesus include financial prosperity in a call to self-denial?

Matthew 19:20–26 ESV

The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Does Jesus include family? Most certainly.

Matthew 10:37–39 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. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Does Jesus as us to deny our comfort? Definitely.

Matthew 8:18–20 ESV

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, 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.”

Does he ask us to deny our realities? For sure.

Matthew 8:24–27 ESV

And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Does he want us to deny our rights and entitlements? Our common sense? Absolutely.

Matthew 5:38–42 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

So what’s left for us?

Should we just abandon everything and live in the wilderness in animal skins? Is that what Christ means by self-denial?

No.

How do we know then what he means for us to deny?

3 Ways To Understand Christ’s Call For Self-Denial In Our Lives.

Ask yourself.

When Jesus made a request of the rich young man, he went for what was that man’s self- he went for his identity. Jesus didn’t ask the rich young man to serve more in the tabernacle. He didn’t call him out for a lack of humility. He didn’t ask him to rein in his anger.

He asked him to sell all he had and give it to the poor.

The Bible identifies him by his wealth. And that identity is the one that Jesus asks him to lay down if he truly desires to follow him.

What’s your identity?

What’s the thing that you cling to that if you were confronted and asked to lay it down, you wouldn’t?

What would make you walk away from Jesus, even knowing who he was?

The rich young man, went away sad. He knew what he was walking away from. And yet he did it anyways.

In Luke, we’re called to take up our cross daily. So I don’t think the call to examine ourselves and look what would cause us to walk away from following Jesus is just limited to big lifelong things.

Most of us stop following Jesus around 9 o’clock in the morning. Carrying our cross doesn’t make it passed devotional time.

Here are some identities that you may pick up daily instead of your cross-

“Need to be liked” young person. Your cross goes so far as the moment when you’re worried someone won’t like you or your faith.

“Busy with kids” parent. Laying down your cross stops as soon as someone yells “Mom” or “Dad” from the other room, or as soon as sports start. Raising well rounded kids takes priority over following Jesus.

“Saving for security” professional. Your cross gets dropped in favor of a busy work week, long hours, a decent paycheck, and a bit more going into savings.

“In retirement” older individual. You’ve put your time in! You carried the cross far enough when you were younger, volunteering and serving Christ in a variety of ways. But you’ve earned a vacation.

Our identities can be a huge range of things - popularity, physical fitness, homes, cars, resources, intelligence, family relationships, friend relationships, even church positions and roles. They can be smaller things too- our reputations. Being right. Being considerate and helpful.

So examine yourself- Ask the question. If Jesus told me to get rid of some part of my identity, which would I walk away sad rather than obeying?

3 Ways To Understand Christ’s Call For Self-Denial In Our Lives.

2. Ask Scripture.

Sometimes, its harder for us to see ourselves.

The rich young man thought he had it together. He was doing all the right things. But he knew something was missing and couldn’t figure it out.

I don’t think talking to Jesus coincidentally resulted in the light coming on for him.

Jesus is referred to as the Word in the Bible. And while we may not have him in front of us today, we do have Scripture.

Hebrews 4:12–13 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Scripture brings correction to our hearts by-

A. Telling the stories of people like us.

B. Giving us clear goals for our life to pursue.

C. Establishing strong guardrails to keep us from danger.

D. Creating opportunities for the Spirit to speak to our circumstances.

3 Ways To Understand Christ’s Call For Self-Denial In Our Lives.

3. Ask Others.

The rich young man went to someone whose life showed something he desired.

The Bible makes it clear for us that we should be in relationship with other people who will build up and encourage us to walk in a manner that is more Christlike.

One red flag for us in our goal of self-denial in pursuit of Christ is when we don’t have time for Christ’s people. If Jesus came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many, then it makes no sense if we have no time for relationship with other believers, we should consider whether we’ve already rejected the call to self-denial.

Further Jesus built communities. He didn’t call Peter alone. He called a small group of men together. And then he connected them to bigger communities.

There was a consistent pattern of encouraging and exhorting others to self-denial within these communities.

Paul, one of the great stories of redemption through self-denial, wrote letters to people he cared deeply about. One of those letters we now call Philippians. Here’s what he said-

Philippians 3:7–11 ESV

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Closing.

I want to circle back to where I started and end with a few questions to consider.

Do you want to follow Jesus?

I don’t ask this question lightly. Consider Christ asked the rich young man to give up what was most dear to him.

2. What is the Holy Spirit leading you to lay down?

If you’re like me, you can identify a few things that you are called to lay down for the cross.

I have 2 or 3 ones in my life. One for me was circumstantial - I made a decision about something in my life that I don’t think was self-denying and Christ pursuing. Another was tied to the way I view myself. I like being right, and sometimes I do that at the expense of being a witness to Jesus.

Encourage you-

A. This is a daily decision

B. You’re not on your own.

C. In self-denial there will be the ultimate self-fulfillment.