The Challenge Of The Cross
Matt. 16:2-24; Mark 8:22-38; Luke 9:21-26
Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23
Introduction
We live in a day of "casual Christianity." I heard someone recently say that the average church could drop one-fourth of its members from the membership roll and neither the church nor the dropped members would notice any difference.
Casual Christians are those who want to be numbered among the flock, but could care less about following the Shepherd. They want the forgiveness the cross of Christ brings but never intend to carry their own cross. They want warm, fuzzy moments on Sunday mornings but offer no commitment to Jesus on Monday mornings. In short, they want the crown without the cross.
Context:
* Who do men say that I am? vs 15
* Jesus predicts His crucifixion - His Cross
* Get behind me Satan -
- Peter saw from human perspective
- from human perspective a cross makes no sense
** HEART OF CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP
- death blow to self-centered gospels of our day
- leaves no room for Prosperity Gospel
- makes no room for modern narcissism
* Jesus Repeatedly Makes Clear
- the Cross comes Before The Crown.
- sacrifice before reward
- losing before winning.
* Humble brokenness and repentance are the marks of the Gospel.
I. The Challenge To Follow
Come After Me
- 2 ½ yrs earlier they had left all to follow Jesus
- left family, friends, occupations and everything.
* Reiterated the call to the life of daily obedience to Christ.
- possible to forsake our first love - walk in disobedience etc.
- especially when the stakes and the cost is high.
* Character and test of the true disciple is obedience
II. The Challenge Of Denial
* Discipleship is on God’s terms.
- Key Principle of Discipleship = "Self Denial"
- self-denial, cross-bearing, obedience
Deny Himself
"Deny" = gk "aparneomai"
- completely disown
- utterly separate oneself from someone
- Word Jesus used to describe Peter’s denial of Him
- Each time he was confronted about relationship to Jesus, Peter more vehemently denied knowing Him
** Means to utterly disown yourself
- to refuse to acknowledge the self of the old man.
"Let him refuse any association or companionship with himself."
* Not Deny your identity as a person
* Deny natural, sinful, rebellious self.
- self = "the flesh" "I"
- self is the enemy of the Spirit
- self is enemy of the "Christ Life"
- self resists the Spirit (Romans 7)
" In the heart of the believer, self occupies the same relationship to Satan as does the Holy Spirit to Christ. Even after many gross forms of evil have been evicted, self remains to contest and usurp the claim of Christ to the throne of the redeemed life. Self is guilty of treason against the King of Kings and is, therefore, worthy of death." (J. Oswald Sanders)
* GOD CALLS US TO CRUCIFY "SELF"
* Give Up All Rights
* To Subject Yourself Entirely To The Lordship of Jesus Christ.
- Subject to the lordship and resources of Jesus Christ.
- utter rejection of self-will, self-sufficiency.
III. The Many Faces Of Self
There is a man who often stands
Between me and Thy glory,
His name is self, my carnal Self.
Stands ‘Twixt’ me and Thy Glory.
* One of most difficult things for us to do is to die to self.
- most difficult to even recognize self in our selves.
* When Jesus Says, "Deny Himself" - what does that mean for us.
- What does self look like?
- What do we need to put to death.
HOW DOES SELF MANIFEST ITSELF IN OUR LIVES AND THEREFORE WHAT IS IT WE MUST DENY
* WHAT DO WE NEED TO DENY - GIVE UP
1. We Need To Deny Self-Will
* Disposition To Have Our Own Way
Little girl said, " Daddy, I do like to do what I do like to do."
* Self wants no authority but its own.
- determined to have its own way
- no matter what it cost
* Cry of self is "I WILL"
* Self-Will Not Allow Us To Be Like Jesus
do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:30)
2. We Need To Deny Self-Seeking
* Desire For Pleasure, Pride And Glory
- go to any length for prominence or power.
- loves to be the centre of attention.
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.
(3 John 9)
* God Wants To Conform Us To The Image of Christ
And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges (John 8:50)
3. We Need To Deny Self-Assertion
* Most Hard-Worked Word in Self’s Vocab. "I" or "Me"
* Self believes others are as interested in him and his achievements as he himself is.
- likes to hear self talk
- thinks his opinion is always the right one.
* Everything is about "Me" - It’s all about "me"
Illustrate: "Me-bird" - one note "Me-Me"
* Jesus Set A Different Example
I am gentle and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:29)
4. We Need To Deny Self-Indulgence
* Self Is Motivated By Desire Not Principle
- we live in a world that is absorbed in Self-Indulgence
- enslaved by our appetites
* Pursuit of Pleasure
* Desires gratification
" I want it and I want it now"
- easy credit a symptom of Self-Indulgence
* No Room For Denial, Discipline
It will content to be enslaved by any fleshly or mental appetite that affords pleasure, whether it be sinful or not. Even legitimate appetites are indulged to such a degree that they become tyrannical." (J. Oswald Sanders)
* Jesus Never Did Anything Simply Because It Pleased Him
The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." (John 8:29)
5. We Need To Deny Self-Pity
* Self Likes To Feel Sorry For Itself
- exaggerates sorrow, suffering, petty discomforts
* "Poor Me"
"Self-Pity Is Inspired By Satan
Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord;( or Pity You Lord) this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." (Matt. 16:22-23)
* Jesus Never Exhibited Self-Pity
- because He knew it was Satanically inspired - He never felt sorry for Himself.
* On way to the cross when the women were weeping for Him, Jesus said,
"Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me" (Luke 23:28)
6. We Need to Deny Self-Justification
* Self Hates To Admit That It's Wrong
- When self is in control - not want admit our need or our wrong.
- Self - in control – seldom wants to apologize - always wants others to apologize
* Self Always Has An Excuse
* Even When He Was Wrongly Accused, Jesus Never Sought To Justify Himself.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. (Isa. 53:7)
- Had he justified Himself, He could never have justified us.
Conclusion
How Do You Dethrone "Self" from your life
.
WHEN YOU ENTHRONE CHRIST YOU AUTOMATICALLY DETHRONE SELF.
- Two cannot occupy the throne of your heart at the same time.
Ilustrate: - Australian Aboriginal - learning to ride horse. In confusion of aboriginal trying to get in a saddle, having never seen one before, horse's hoof got stuck in stirrup. Aboriginal said, "Well, If you’re getting on, I’m getting off."
** IF SELF IS GOING TO OCCUPY THE THRONE OF YOUR HEART, CHRIST CANNOT AND WILL NOT.
* EVERYDAY - AND AT EVERY DECISION, WE MUST CHOOSE TO PUT CHRIST ON THE THRONE AND SUBMIT OURSELVES TO HIS LORDSHIP IN OUR LIVES.
