Calling Take Up Your Cross

Calling

Take Up Your Cross

Your calling and mine to follow Jesus is a calling to

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

We cannot sit under the teaching of the Kingdom just to become very intellectual

 And our words very impressive

The message of the Kingdom is a message of change and sacrifice

It is at this point our calling is challenged

It is at this point our calling is tested at the very core of our being

We all battle with being in this world but not of the world

What will it mean to you today

To deny yourself and take up your cross daily and Follow Him?

For you and I to be Righteous, what cross will we bear?

 To have Peace with God, what cross will we bear?

 To be Joyful, what cross will we bear?

Take Up Your Cross

Jesus started His ministry by preaching…

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”

Matthew 4:17

We see Jesus ends His ministry with the last 40 days

before ascending into heaven speaking…

About the Kingdom of God

Acts 1:3

The Kingdom Message is a wonderful message of…

Righteousness, Peace and Joy

Acts 14:17

This is the message that caused people to follow Jesus,

for the disciples to look to Him as their Rabi or teacher.

In Luke 9 we see an astounding thing happen…

Jesus revealed to his smaller and closer group

of followers that He is the Messiah, the Christ.

At this revelation of who He is…

 Jesus tells His disciple not to

tell anyone He is the Christ.

I believe there are two dynamics for Jesus to

give this strict warning not to tell who He is.

The first reason you have to read into the context.

 The second is clearly in the context.

The first reason is the importance of people’s

focus on the Kingdom of God.

We follow Jesus because He clearly

explained how to live an abundant live.

A life where we love one another.

A life of health…

Not only the body as He healed the sick,

 but deep within a person’s soul and spirit.

    

Jesus is His Message.

 He did not want people to miss the message

because they might stumble at their

understanding of the man they saw.

In the context we see the second reason

 not to tell anyone He was the Christ…

The rejection of Jesus, the man, was increasing.

Jesus tells His disciple at this point

 He will suffer and be killed,

 but on the third day be raised to life.

Luke 9:21-22

It is at this point, Jesus says those who Follow Him

will have to count the cost like He has counted the cost.

Jesus denied Himself daily and died on a cross.

Your calling and mine to follow Jesus is a calling to…

"If anyone would come after me,

 he must deny himself and take up

his cross daily and follow me.

Luke 9:23

We cannot sit under the

teaching of the Kingdom

just to become very intellectual

 and our words very impressive.

The message of the Kingdom is a

 message of change and sacrifice.

It is at this point our calling is challenged.

It is at this point our calling is tested

at the very core of our being.

We all battle with being in this world,

but not of the world.

Too often we define this in way that allow us to

live in the world and follow Jesus at the same time.

Jesus is very clear about denying yourself daily.

 

Jesus set the example…

 He never compromised.

Jesus lived the Kingdom Life

and it cost Him His life on a cross.

As we consider our calling to Follow Him

and take up our cross daily…

Are we willing to put each day

on the cross, our worldly desires?

To live a Kingdom Life each day

of Righteousness, Peace and Joy?  

 What will it mean to you today to…

 

Deny yourself and take up your

cross daily and Follow Him?

For you and I to be Righteous,

what cross will we bear?

To have Peace with God,

what cross will we bear?

To be Joyful,

 what cross will we bear?

Scripture Reading

Luke 9:20-27 NIV

20 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." 

23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."