This past Sunday, Lead Pastor, Ben Johnson shared a message titled “The Cost of Following Jesus.” Looking at Matthew 16:13 – 26, following Jesus begins with desire — “If anyone desires to come after Me…” (vs 24). Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily, finding joy in self-denial as Paul did, counting all things loss for the excellence of knowing Christ. True life is discovered when we lose our life for His sake. Denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Him daily looks like loving others even when it’s hard, serving others by giving our time, energy and gifts to God’s mission, and forgiving others by letting go of grudges, bitterness and resentment.
✍️ Notes
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are [j]an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:13-26 (NKJV)
⭑ Desire
"If anyone desires to come after Me..." vs 24
⭑ Deny Yourself and Take Up the Cross
“let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Vs 24
⭑ Joy in Self-Denial (Paul)
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8)
⭑ Discover True Life
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Vs 25)
⭑ Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him daily looks like:
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