(Read Matthew 16:24-26)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. We spent most of last week looking at a passage in Matthew 16 where Peter was commended and rebuked in the same conversation. He was commended when he heard from heaven and allowed his words to line up with God’s. But he was rebuked when he went right back to hearing from the system of this world and allowing his words to line up with natural desires that were in conflict with God’s will. That being the context, I want to share with you what Jesus said next. We will spend the next few days looking at the following statement:
Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps he must give up all right to himself, take up his cross and follow me. For the man who wants to save his life will lose it; but the man who loses his life for my sake will find it. For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world at the price of his own soul? What could a man offer to buy back his soul once he had lost it?”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Jesus was willing to accept His cross. The cross meant He would be giving up ALL of Himself. When He mentioned this to His disciples and Peter pushed back and Jesus rebuked Peter for wanting Jesus to give any less than ALL of Himself. Jesus then turned around and explained that we must do the same. God has never required any less than ALL of you!
2. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps he must give up all right to himself, take up his cross and follow me.” This statement came immediately after Jesus’ rebuke of Peter for wanting Jesus to avoid the cross, when Jesus was telling them it was the will of the Father. Peter’s desire for his master and mentor to avoid crucifixion is understandable, but it is completely human. Jesus was being led of the Holy Spirit and Peter was being led of his emotions. This scene plays out in our lives all the time. We are often faced with situations where the Holy Spirit is leading us to sacrifice and our emotions are leading us to comfort. When faced with these situations we can either be led of our emotions, like Peter, and get rebuked for it, or we can be led of the Holy Spirit, like Jesus, and get rewarded for it.
3. When Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps he must give up all right to himself, take up his cross and follow me”, He meant it.
a) Giving up all right to yourself means dying to self like Jesus did.
b) Giving up all right to yourself means willing to sacrifice your desires for God’s will.
c) Giving up all right to yourself means being led of the Spirit instead of your emotions.
d) Giving up all right to yourself means making decisions based on God’s Kingdom and not the system of this world.
e) Giving up all right to yourself means you decide to live grace-based instead of works-based.
f) You will not be able to give up all right to yourself unless you do the second part of Jesus’ statement: Take up your cross and follow Him!
g) The cross is a symbol of death and dying. It is also the pathway we must all travel down if we are going to become the men/women God has called us to be.
*** Success in Christ requires giving yourself away in order to find yourself in Him!
I will stop here for today. I am excited about this passage and I believe this week’s message are going to be powerful.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. Accepting Your grace means accepting Your will. It means accepting Your plans. It means accepting Your desire for my life. It means putting You ahead of me. It means placing Your plans above my own. It means dying to self in order to live for You. It means giving up my life in order to find my true life in You. It means sacrifice, submission and surrender. You have never required any less than ALL of me and studying Your grace has positioned me to give You everything I have. The more I study Your grace, the more I realize how much You love me, and the more I want to die to self. I am developing a desire to die to my desires. I want to die to me, so that You can freely flow through me. I want to live the life You planned for me. I want to become the person You called me to be from the foundations of the world. I want the life You want me to have and if it requires giving my life away to find it, I am now at the point where I am ready to do it. I die so You can live through me, and so I can experience Your BEST for the rest of my days. I give up all right to myself and I receive all right to walk in Kingdom dominion, power and authority! My death unleashes Your life IN me! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
