Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Attention:
Many of you know that we have a cat named S’mores (check out this picture of him)
One thing that you need to know about S’mores is that he follows Samie and I around everywhere
And when I say everywhere, I do really mean EVERYWHERE; to bed, the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, etc.
And most of the time, its neat and all, but then he starts trying to get ahead of you so that he can scratch at your feet as you walk by
I think that my and Samie’s feet are literally scarred at this point
But anyways, I tell you this to say that being a follower is a big part of what it means to be a disciple
Disciples followed their Rabbi everywhere back in the day
Jesus’ disciples (the 12) followed Him during His earthly ministry
We follow Jesus as we live as His disciples by embracing His teachings
Tonight, we are going to be looking at Matthew 16:24, where we will see the role of a disciple as a follower laid out before us.
Need:
You need to hear this tonight because its easy for us to forget our intended destination
It is hard for us to follow after Jesus in our schools and in our communities because of our culture
We worry about what might happen to our popularity if we took this following Jesus stuff more seriously
God has built you to be a follower.
It is your destiny to follow, so we need to talk about what it looks like to do that.
Transition Question: What is something that it is hard for you to practice self-control with?
Body
The Big Idea: A disciple follows
The Question: How does a disciple follow?
1. Self-Denial
Cross-Taking
Walking-After
Matthew 16:24 (NLT)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Explanation:
Jesus speaks to His disciples (“said”)
There is a conversation happening; a converation about their new title
He is talking to His primary disciples (the 12) about being a disciple
Remember: This is the primary word that the NT writers use to describe Christians!
Notice the word “if”
This word indicates that this is a conditional phrase
A conditional phrase is essentially saying “in order for this to happen, this must happen first”
And the first thing that has to happen first is self-denial, aka “giving up your own way.”
What exactly does it mean to deny yourself?
R.T. France: “To renounce his right to life.”
This is in contrast to the majority of Jewish people at this time: “The Jews renounced the messiah; his followers renounce themselves” (D.A. Carson)
David Platt put it this way: “You die to yourself by putting aside self-righteousness, self-indulgence, and everything that belongs to you-your desires, your ambitions, your thoughts, your dreams, and your possessions.”
A disciple is a denier!
Illustration:
There is nobody that has a better understanding of self-denial than successful dieters
My biggest weakness health-wise with food is the milkshake
This especially demonstrated itself whenever I would go to Cookout when I was at Liberty
The only thing that I could eat meal-wise at cookout was a tray with pulled pork and fries
And that was always plenty enough to fill me up, but man… those cookout milkshakes
My favorite is the Reese’s flavor.
It is one of the best things that I have ever tasted in my life
As I prepared this illustration in my office, my mouth starting watering (no joke)
But I knew that it was both better for my health and better for my wallet if I practiced self-denial
Following requires self-denial.
We have to fight against letting our own selfish desires get in the way of us following our Lord and Savior
Application:
Which part of yourself do you deny the least?
Maybe it’s watching, listening, and/or looking at stuff that you shouldn’t
Maybe it is being unkind
Maybe its being more concerned about how you are going to get through the day than how someone else is
How tightly are you holding onto your own way of doing things?
How do you respond to criticism?
Are you okay with being wrong?
Give into growth.
What do you need to start and/or stop doing in order to deny yourself and follow Jesus more closely?
Discipleship is key here
Transition statement: Denying yourself also means picking up your cross
Transition question: What is one of the heaviest things that you’ve ever carried?
The Big Idea: A disciple follows
The Question: How does a disciple follow?
*three answers that describe the same thing*
Self-Denial
2. Cross-Taking
Walking-After
Matthew 16:24 (NLT)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Explanation:
In the verses preceding this one, Jesus alludes to His future crucifixion
This is something that was incredibly hard for the disciples to grasp.
Peter went as far as to rebuke Jesus for it!
But it was His fate nonetheless
But what Jesus does here is also hard to swallow: He says that its not just Jesus that is to carry a cross; they are supposed to as well.
But what does that mean?
Jesus is not warning them of persecution; he’s warning them of a death of some kind
R.T. France: “To take up the cross is to set off for public execution, not to suffer patiently some irritation.”
D.A. Carson: Carrying the cross was “a burden and a sign of death.”
But is this death literal/physical?
Not necessarily.
The way that David Platt describes it is helpful.
David Platt: You are a dead man walking!
“Your life as you once knew it is now over.”
Disciples don’t just deny themselves; disciples die to themselves
This is beyond self-denial
This is to acknowledge and live out the fact that your life doesn’t belong to you anymore
This is to say, “Jesus, I will do WHATEVER IT TAKES for your Kingdom and Yours alone!”
Illustration:
Imagine what it would look like to pick up a cross and walk with it.
Crosses weighed well over 300 pounds
So you wouldn’t just carry this thing; you’d probably take a few steps and then Fall, ESPECIALLY if you, like Jesus, were already beaten beyond human recognition
The cross is heavy.
The cross is burdensome.
Carrying it takes great effort.
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