READ: Mark 8:34

CHALLENGE: Follow Jesus

Mark 8:34-38 – 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. 

What does it take to follow Jesus? 

1. SET YOUR MIND ON GOD STUFF

Let’s track back to verse 33.  Peter rebuked Jesus when he said that he had to die and raise again because that’s not what the disciples wanted.  Jesus said, get behind me Satan and then said, “You do not have in mind the concerns of God but only human concerns”.  Sometimes what we want isn’t nearly as grand as what God wants.  They wanted to change a nation, Jesus changed the world. 

Jesus came to earth to suffer on a cross, not to rock a crown. Peter, you do not have in mind the concerns of God.  The literal wording is – you are not thinking about God stuff.  To “have in mind” means to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek or strive for.  What was Peter doing?  He was seeking and striving for his own interests and advantage.  He was seeking an earthly kingdom rather than a heavenly one. 

The disciples wanted Jesus to stay there with them but that was not God’s will.  Jesus was the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.  The mission was breaking sin’s strangle hold on humanity.  God willed for Jesus go to the cross.

He didn’t want to save people from Rome, he wanted to free them from the devil!  Defeating the earthly enemy of Rome was nothing compared to the spectacular world altering mission of defeating a spiritual enemy.  We need to let God be God and His will be done because it’s going to be WAY better! 

It was a plan that man could neither envision nor make up.  We would never imagine the maker of the world getting killed by His own creation.  For Jesus to rule and for the disciples to rule with him would have been grand.  Political power, esteem, ease, safety.  But to save the world was so much better.

To effectively take up our cross, we need to get our eyes off ourselves and consider what God wants.  Where is our mind?  On the heavenly or earthly (Colossians 3:1).  On the Spirit or the flesh (Romans 8).  Go God’s way!

Sometimes Zeke will want to not do what we ask.  Our plan is to keep him healthy, safe, and cleaned up should he get messed up.  He doesn’t seem to care if he has black soot on his face.  We do and it’s best for him to go our way.  We humans are on Zeke’s level when it comes to figuring out this world from God’s perspective. 

I tried to ponder the ways that our will might different from God’s will at times.  The length of life is more a man concern than a God concern.  Jesus died at 33.  Enoch lived a third as long as everyone else around him.  Hezekiah died at 54 which is relatively young, yet he was one of Israel’s greatest kings.  We think humanly whereas God has a different perspective.  We see passing away as death but God sees it as life.  It says in 2 Corinthians 5 that what is mortal is swallowed up by life and that God has made us for this purpose. 

Humans tend to be way more concerned about what people think than God is.  Jesus will talk about people who are ashamed of Him because they worry about how people might react to the cross.  When the disciples were threatened by the Jewish leaders they said, should we please men or God?  When I was growing up, I was way more concerned about what God thought than other humans.  Stop worrying about what people think. 

Sometimes we want what is convenient and God’s will is anything but that.  It’s NOT convenient.  It’s easy to sit on the couch every night but God didn’t call us to a life of ease.  He called us to serve!

Matthew 6:33 – But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Let’s start with being open.  Am I concerned about God stuff or my stuff? 

• TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW JESUS

He called the crowd along with his disciples.  The crowd refers to the multitude.  To a BIG group of people!  He is calling all to follow Him!!  That’s interesting, right?  Jesus talking to the crowd as well and not JUST limited to his 12 disciples.  He’s working with a huge group!  For anyone who believes that a church should not work with the crowd, please read the gospels again! 

On every Sunday we have a crowd.  And in the crowd is the church meaning those connected to Christ by faith.  There’s a string of people going from the closest followers to people just listening.  You all have a right to take up the cross.  Could be your first Sunday in forever!  You have the same opportunity that I have. 

What Jesus is about to pitch is anything but easy believe-ism, mere words, or positive feelings.  We’re about to see what following looks like. 

1. Start with Desire

If you desire to come after Christ.  The word “desire” means to resolve, or wish, or take pleasure in something.  I would say that resolve is stronger than positive vibe or wish.  I might desire it to be cool on a hot day but that’s not changing the situation.  To desire here means that this is the direction I’m setting. 

Accomplishing anything starts with “want to”.  Following Jesus has to be important!  Desires drive you past the ease of not doing it.  So many things that I desire to do would be much easier if I didn’t do it.  It’s easier to put it off.  It’s easier to sleep in.  It’s easier to not help out or not to do a Bible study.  All of that is easier. 

Your desire to be in shape has to outweigh your desire to sleep in.  Your desire to be on a diet has to be stronger than your desire for ice cream.  There has to be a resolve. 

Following Jesus begins with a desire to do it.  You can’t accidentally do it.  It’s intentional.  And I wonder why they would want to?  Because there’s help there.  We have love, peace, and joy.  We have hope and the salvation makes following Jesus totally worth it. 

2. Say No To Self

Deny means to say “no” to yourself.  Like a shot blocked in basketball – denied!  The funnest blocks are when you hit it so clean that it thunks off a wall.  Not today!

Hey Peter, I know you want me to rule right now.  But deny your own desires and look for what God wants.  God wasn’t calling Peter into political leadership, he was calling him to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He would have many life altering missions once he surrendered his will to Christ. 

To deny ourselves means we forget about ourselves and our own interests.  You must be able to say “no” when temptation comes begging.  No!  We probably have to tell ourselves “no” all day long.  I’m not going to look at that.  I’m not going to think about that.  I’m not going to go there.  I’m not going to do that.  I’m not going to lie for you. 

Can we say “yes” to Christ without first saying, “no” to self.  Is this a chronological order?  In some ways it’s all the same motion.  Denying self and following Christ should be inseparable from each other.  Following Christ will cause you to say “no” to self. 

I remember speaking to a man and he was super confused about Jesus Christ.  He thought that he needed to say no to all bad things and have his life in complete order before saying yes to Jesus.  I reminded him that the power to say “no” to sin was found in saying “yes” to Jesus.  He gives us the power.  So, this verse is not intended to make us have our act completely together before following Jesus. 

Sometimes we say no to our plans!  Does your life look how I imagined it at the beginning?  Following Jesus can change your course.

Some thought I was wasting my life when I followed God into ministry.  I had to say “no” to what the world thought.  No to big bucks.  I just wanted to serve and to communicate truth.  My dad the same – he had to lay down his career to enter ministry. 

We might want to sleep in on Sunday morning and we say no to self and come to church.  We might want to take revenge on someone but God says not to.  Say no to yourself. 

By the way, if you struggle with saying, “no” to evil desires, please remember that part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is “self-control”. 

3. Take Up Your Cross

We’re used to the statement but it’s truly shocking.  Take up means …. Carry.  Carry what?  The cross.  Listen to this quote, “the well-known instrument of most cruel punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the Great, the guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abetters of insurrections,

Take up your cross and follow me!  But the cross is for the worst of the worst!  It was designed to be brutal and I’m supposed to pick up something designed for criminals!  Imagine hearing this for the first time.  I’m not a criminal.  I don’t deserve to die. 

Today, we wear crosses as jewelry and decoration.  The cross was a form of painful and shameful execution.  We wear it.  If Jesus was hung, would we wear pendant shaped like a noose?  If electrocuted, would we be wearing electric chairs around our neck?  If beheaded, would we wear a guillotine?  You get the point right?  The cross is cruel.  We are so used to it and perhaps comfortable with it.  It’s sanitized.  It’s jewelry.  I promise that no one was wearing a cross back in that day.

Why do we love it so?  Because we identify with Christ who hung on it.  It’s salvation for us.  The cross designed to bring death, brings life because of Jesus.  It’s a symbol for God’s love for the world.

Who did pick up the cross of Christ?  Simon of Cyrene literally carried the cross for Jesus and carried it to the place of execution.  He followed Jesus with the burden of what Jesus went through.  Are we to think of it like that?  Pick it up like Simon of Cyrene.  And follow Jesus. 

In other words, identify with the shame of it.  The ridicule and scorn.  I believe he’s calling us to identify with him and be like Him.  Love like he did.  Be honest like him.  Befriend the sinners.  Communicate the good news.  Follow his commands no matter what anyone else says. 

We also identify with Christ who suffered shame in following God’s will.  The cross is the potential disdain we receive for following Jesus and doing the right thing.  This makes sense because we aren’t supposed to deny Christ.  He said if we’re ashamed of him, he’ll be ashamed of us.  Take up your cross.  It’s not about carrying a burden.  It’s about identifying with Christ who was killed.  

Are we more interested in being an ally and propping up sin or in standing with Jesus?  Here we are called to be holy not to approve evil in the name of love.  Jesus died to set us free, not to celebrate bondage. 

I’ve always realized that following Jesus was different and it was OK to march to his beat even when that’s not what everyone else was doing.  Perhaps my idea of “fun” is different.  What makes me feel alive is hearing stories of God working and people finding help. 

• Follow God

If anyone would come after Christ and that means to follow!  We’re learning from him and believing in Him.  We follow a person who was crucified, not coronated.  That’s shameful, right?  Follow in his steps.  Become his disciple.

Follow in morals.  Follow in sacrifice.  Follow in love.  Follow in prayer.  Follow in doing good for others.  And to follow means more than one decision in a moment of time.  Just like being married means more than vows.  The vows start a lifetime of learning and adjusting and loving and serving.  This takes commitment. 

When we follow Jesus then we’re back to being concerned about God stuff.  I can’t worry about what everyone else says about virginity or moral purity or clean language or attending church or giving.  I cannot worry about all of those things. 

• HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

³⁵ For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

• Do you want to save your life or lose it? 

If you save your life you’ll lose it.  If you lose your life, you’ll save it.  You have to be willing to give up your life.  For the most of us, we don’t have to die in order to follow Jesus Christ. 

Now if I could or would give up that much, a Wednesday night given up to serve is far short of that.  Giving up some money to support a child in a foreign country.  Taking time to attend a Bible study.  Going to church.  Tithing.  That’s nothing! 

If you seek to save your life.  Perhaps meaning to save it all for us.  To hog our treasure, time, and talents and use it only for our own glory, that would be a problem, right? 

We are going to lose some of ourselves into attaining higher meaning and purpose.  You’re going to have to give up time.  Are we willing to sacrifice for the greater good like Jesus did?  You’ll gain so much!

• What is your soul worth. 

You could gain the entire world but lose your soul.  There’s no profit in that. 

If you’re a rich as Elon Musk but wind up in hell, what did it matter.  That’s eternity.  I’m going to take up my cross because I’m living with an eternal perspective.  And speaking of perspective.  Sure, there are people with more than you.  So what!  No one is taking it with them.  Just make sure you don’t hold less of the cross.

• Are we ashamed of Christ? 

Sure, following Jesus might not make you the cool kid.  But the generation is promiscuous.  It’s sinful.  It’s doing sinful things.  I don’t have to be like everyone else.  Who cares what they think. 

What do you need to do?  Just follow Jesus Christ.  So in a world far from God we want to make sure they’re happy?  Nonsense!  I can’t change the Bible.  I’m here to carry my cross not cave to the expectations of a generation without morals. 

We believe in something which means we can’t believe in everything.  I’d rather just set a good example and hopefully be a reason that people can believe. 

I like what Paul said, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ”.  Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Ultimately, let’s not just live for ourselves.  Let’s live for the day when we stand before God. 

That we may lay hold of what is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 – Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

End with the story of the rich fool.  He had a bumper crop.  He said, I’ll build bigger barns and then eat and drink and be merry.  What was problem?  It was all about him.  He didn’t have an eternal perspective and that night he died.  So what good did it do him. 

It’s like the sign in the office of George Bailey – all that you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.