(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 have been studying the life of the Apostle Peter and our study has brought us to the following passage in Matthew 16.:
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?”
Yesterday we focused in on the words, “take up his cross and follow me”. Today we will focus in on the words, “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.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- In Matthew 16 Jesus was teaching His disciples against the backdrop of two opposing pictures. On the one hand you had Jesus (freshly identified by Peter as the Messiah), who was telling His disciples that He was going to have to die. On the other hand was Peter, telling Jesus that He did not have to die. Jesus was willing to give His life away, Peter wanted Him to keep it. This is the setting in which Jesus said, “The man who wants to save his life will lose it; but the man who loses his life for my sake will find it.” Which person do you identify with? Do you identify with Jesus, who was willing to die? Or do you identify with Peter, who pushed back at even the thought of death?
- Jesus willingly gave up his life for the life He was born to live. We must do the same.
- Jesus explained that if you attempt to hold on to the live you have (the life you came up with), you will eventually lose it. But if you willingly give up your life — your plans, your selfish desires, and everything you came up with in the flesh — you will be able to find the life you were born to live.
- You will never truly live until you die to self and selfishness.
- The plans you came up with would have been okay had God not already made plans for you before the world began.
- When faced with a choice between plans and desires you formulated without God (plans that sound good and may even lead to pleasurable experiences), and plans God made for you before the world began (plans that may require sacrifice and pain), there is no choice. Always put God’s will above your own. Whatever you “seemingly” lose in the short term will be dwarfed by the Blessing of the Lord in the long term. It may have looked like Jesus was losing when He went to the cross, but the cross ushered Him into His purpose. Your cross will do the same for you. Pick up your cross, die to self, and live an amazing life!
- Anything you attempt to hold on to after God has told you to give it up is an idol. Holding on to this idol, when you know God is telling you otherwise, may just cause you to forfeit God’s best.
- God will not compete with you. If you want to be the lord of your own life, making your own decisions, holding on to the plans you came up with without God, God will let you do it. He won’t force you into your purpose. He will stand by and allow you to live your life on your own. But when you get tired, both God AND your purpose will be waiting on you!
- Never see sacrifice for God as a bad thing. God will never be in debt to you. Anything you sacrifice for Him becomes a seed and our God (The Lord of the Harvest), will ensure you reap a harvest on every seed sown!
- You must lose your life in order to find it in Christ!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me before the world began. You spent time thinking about me before I was born. You already mapped out my success. My prosperity is connected to my purpose. My success is connected to my divine assignment. The only way I can truly win in life is by losing myself in You! I refuse to hold onto anything You tell me to let go of. I refuse to hold on to my old life, when You are leading me into the life I was born to live. In order to experience true success I must be willing to experience true sacrifice. I declare that I am. I give myself away. I die to self and selfishness. I lose myself IN You. I willingly forfeit my plans for Your plans, my desires for Your purpose, my heart for Yours. It may cost me up front. It may be painful at times. I may have to endure hardship as a good Soldier in Christ Jesus. But anything I give up for You becomes a seed and You will see to it that I reap a harvest on every seed sown. No matter what I face in the short term, my eyes are on the long term; I am determined to arrive at Your desired destination for my life. You will say to me, “Well done my good and faithful servant!” Because I am willing to DIE in order to truly LIVE! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
