Thank you, Jared.
Go back with me to Luke, would you?
And let's go to Luke chapter 9.
Luke chapter 9.
Jesus said, if you're going to follow me, you've got to take up your cross daily.
Take up your cross daily.
Folks, what that means is you've got to take up your cross daily.
What's that?
You can do that for the 5K?
I don't think so.
My goal is to not knock over this computer right now.
That means it's going to be cumbersome sometimes and inconvenient and it might be painful.
And you're going to wish you could set it down.
Because it would be a whole lot easier to go through your day without it.
Huh?
I know I could set it down.
And yeah, that's what the world says.
Why are you carrying that around?
Why don't you set it down?
It would be a whole lot easier.
So, Luke chapter 9.
Let's look at it.
Verse 57.
As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, I will follow you wherever you go.
How many people have said to Jesus, I'll follow you?
How many of us have sung along, I'll follow Jesus.
I'll follow him.
Jesus replied, foxes have dens to live in.
Birds have nests.
But the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.
He said to another person, come, follow me.
And the man agreed.
But then he said, Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.
But Jesus told him, let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.
Your duty is to go and preach about the kingdom of God.
Another said, yes, Lord, I will follow you.
But first let me say goodbye to my family.
But Jesus told him, anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.
My challenge, folks, is to take a one-way journey.
Take a one-way journey.
This thing is cumbersome, isn't it?
It's annoying.
I'm going to pick it up again later.
I've done that a lot in my life.
I've picked up my cross and then I've set it back now.
Jesus said three things here.
Do you understand the message he's sending to these people?
Does it sound harsh?
Does it sound cruel?
Are you sure you want to follow Jesus?
You sure he's the one you want to follow?
Or would you rather follow man-made religion?
Would you rather follow traditional church?
Because I'll be honest with you.
Traditional church is nicer.
It's comfortable.
It's nice.
We get to have nice things.
And it's pleasant.
And we get to have a nice social club.
And we get to, you know, have nice beautiful things.
And we get to have a nice long tradition of doing things one way.
And everybody gets to be comfortable.
And we get to have a nice pleasant world that we live in for a long time.
Everybody gets to know everybody.
And everybody gets to be comfortable.
And everybody gets to have a nice us four and no more way of doing things.
And that's comfortable.
And it's pleasant.
And everybody knows what to expect.
But when Jesus comes in and shakes things up, it gets uncomfortable.
And then it's like, now slow down here.
Jesus, what are you doing?
This isn't about you.
This is about what we have going on.
And if we aren't careful, we find ourselves doing that.
We find ourselves, the church of Jesus, telling him it's not about him.
And he says, you're not my followers.
And we talked about that last week.
And instead, his challenge is, pick up your cross.
You haven't picked up your cross in a long time.
You've got to give something up.
You haven't given something up in a long time.
You haven't lain something down in a long time.
You haven't sacrificed anything in a long time.
You haven't put anything to death in a long time.
The Jesus way is a way of death.
You haven't died in a long time.
The Jesus way is a way of death.
You haven't died in a long time.
The Jesus way is a one-way journey to death.
Do you realize what the Emmaus Road was?
They called it the Via Dolorosa.
Do you realize what the journey to the cross was?
It was a journey to death.
It was a one-way journey to the cross.
He wasn't getting out of that.
It was a one-way, no looking back, the cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back.
I'm going to die.
And Jesus said, if you want to follow me, you must go and die.
It was a one-way journey to death.
Turn over five chapters, would you?
Turn over five chapters to Luke chapter 14.
Take a one-way journey with me.
If you don't, it's okay.
It's okay, guys.
It's okay if you don't want to do it.
Just don't call yourself a disciple yet.
It's okay if you're not there on your journey.
It's okay.
Hey, Jesus is so patient with you.
He's so kind.
He's so patient with you.
You're not there yet on your journey.
Just don't try to say that you're a disciple yet if you're not ready to take a one-way journey to the cross.
Luke chapter 14.
Luke chapter 14 and verse 25.
Luke chapter 15.
Jesus said, if you will be my disciple.
After the fact, we get to read about these guys, and he calls them his disciples.
but before then they were disciples in training now we can all be disciples in training right
jesus is teaching them how to be his disciples so if you want to be this if you want to be a
jesus follower this is how it has to look so luke chapter 14 let's skip down to verse 25 verse 25
a large crowd was following jesus
this is the cost of being a disciple cannot be my disciple are y'all sure that you want to be
jesus followers are you sure you want to be disciples of jesus
if you don't it's okay a lot of people don't there's billions of people in this world
a lot of them don't want to be jesus followers
jesus says otherwise you can't be my disciples if you don't carry your own cross and follow me
you can't be my disciple here we go again
if you don't carry your own cross and follow me you cannot be my disciple verse 28 but don't begin
until you do what count the cost so that's number two count the cost for who would begin construction
of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it
otherwise you might complete only the foundation before running out of money and then everyone
would laugh at you they would say there's the person who started that building and couldn't afford to
finish it or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his
counselors to discuss whether his army of 10 000 could defeat the 20 000 soldiers marching against
him and if he can't he will send a delegation to discuss the terms of peace while the enemy is still
far away so you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own
salt is good for seasoning but if it loses its flavor how do you make it salty again flavorless salt
is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile it is thrown away anyone with ears to hear
should listen and understand have you become flavorless salt have you become the king who goes to war
without enough soldiers to get the job done have you become the building with only the foundation
and not enough to finish the building do you understand what i'm saying
have you become the christian who won't carry his cross
have you become the christian who didn't count the cost
of being the disciple
this is a hard thing to think about
but i think this is why jesus wanted us to stop and remember his sacrifice
so often
we do the lord's supper or communion four times a year
why do you think jesus wanted us to do it so often
so we wouldn't forget his sacrifice right
why do you think he wanted us to remember his sacrifice
because otherwise
we just get caught up in life and we forget the dear cost
of what it took
to forgive us
to buy us back
from the jaws of death
because we get wrapped up
in what our kids are doing
and we get wrapped up
in what our next vacation is
and we get wrapped up in how we're going to pay the next bill
and we get wrapped up in just the cares and everyday life
and we forget
what jesus had to do
and we forget
what it cost
and we forget
the cost
that he asks
us to pay
look if you don't want to pay the cost
i understand
most don't
but i ask you
to consider it
forget what i ask
jesus is asking you
to consider it
consider paying the cost
he's asking you to be his disciple
he's asking you to come following
but he's telling you
count the cost
pick up the cross
and carry it
because it's worth it
it's worth it
but your priorities
have to change
the things that are important to you
right now
have to become less important
and the things that are not as important to you
right now
have to become more important
people getting saved
have to become
most important to you
people getting baptized
and lives being changed
have to become most important to you
what's important to god
has to become most important to you
if that changes
then it all falls into place
it all starts to make sense
if that doesn't change
then it won't ever make sense
it'll all still steam out of order to you
and you'll still be frustrated
and you'll still be irritated
and you'll still be mad
and i won't be able to help you
and nobody else will be able to help you
i promise you
last one
romans chapter 8
you don't have to turn it there
it's one verse
i've got it on the screen for you
if you live according to the flesh
you're going to die
but if you by the spirit
put to death
the deeds of the body
you will live
if you by the spirit
put to death
the deeds of the body
you will live
dietrich bonhoeffer
had to have been referencing
kind of that scripture verse
when he said this quote
when christ calls a man
he bids him
come and die
jesus said
if you follow me
you got to pick up your cross
what happened
when jesus picked up his cross
and walked that road
he was carrying it
to his death
well
he couldn't make it
all the way
could he
somebody else had to come
and carry his cross
for the first time
and now
there was a man called simon
and now
every one of us
is called to pick up
our cross
and carry it
and now we're called
to die
daily
not physically
but spiritually
every one of us
is called
to put ourselves
and our desires
and our flesh
and our priorities
and our motives
and our wants
and our needs
to death
and jesus said
my way is better
trust me
you trusted me
with salvation
you trusted me
to forgive you
you trusted me
to give you
eternal life
now trust me
that my way
is better
and kill off you
and let me
live through you
and if you're not
willing to do that
then you'll never
taste my life
because you'll never
put yourself
to death
so the challenge
is to die
daily
we've said it
every week
the jesus way
is a way
of transformation
it's always
a way
of transformation
but it always
has to start
with death
first
that's the little
secret
that's the
uncomfortable part
that's the hard
part
y'all
carrying this
thing around
i'm glad
it looked
awkward
i'm glad
it looked
uncomfortable
because trust
me
it is
that was
not fun
up here
okay
it was
awkward
and uncomfortable
did it look
awkward and
uncomfortable
it was
and trust me
in real life
it is
in church
life
it is
in family
life
carrying your
cross
is
in all
your
relationships
carrying your
cross
is awkward
difficult
painful
uncomfortable
but it's
worth it
that's why
he asks
you to do
it
so our
takeaway
today
and we're
done
following
jesus
means daily
following him
to the cross
and dying
to myself
you gotta
do it
gotta follow
him to that
cross
gotta pick
it up
follow him
to that
cross
nail
your flesh
to that
cross
nail
your
priorities
to that
cross
nail
your
lies
your
fear
to that
cross
nail
your
worry to that cross. Nail your pain to that cross. Nail your cares to that cross. And
then say, Jesus, replace it. I got nothing to carry now. Now give me your grace. Give
me your hope. Give me your life. Give me your comfort. Give me your peace. Give me your
kindness. Give me your joy. Give me all that you promise. That's what he fills you with.
The fruit of the spirit. Now all the people in your life, brother, man, what happened
to you? I picked up my cross. God did the rest. Let's pray together. God, right now,
you're working on my heart. I pray that you're working on somebody else's too. You ask us
to do difficult things and none more difficult than to pick up our cross and follow you.
Every day you just bring things into our day that seem more than we can take on. But
nothing is too hard for God. You said, is anything too hard for God? We know the answer is no.
God, right? When you were facing your own cross, which is more than we'll ever have to face.
You prayed to your father, let this cup pass from me and
father, if it be your will, let this cup pass from me.
But you knew that you were going to walk that road and you were going to lay down your life for us.
And with everything that
we have to give, we thank you for doing that.
We would have no hope. We'd have no reason
to gather. We'd have no reason to live
without the forgiveness and the new life we have in you
because of your salvation, because of your sacrifice.
So as we remembered your death,
your broken body and blood in the Lord's Supper today,
we remember your sacrifice, we remember your cross,
and we're challenged to take up our own.
God, that means laying down some things.
By your spirit, I pray that you would show us exactly what we need to lay down,
what we need to put to death.
Convict our hearts, God.
If there is a spirit of discord, if there is a spirit of
strife, if there is a
unholy spirit,
quench it, Lord.
I pray that you would unite us together
around your heart
for the lost,
around your mission.
That is what would reign supreme.
Let us be a people
of love for you,
for one another.
Amen.
Church, is there someone here in our house
who would like to turn from their sins
and turn to Jesus this morning?
With our heads bowed and eyes closed,
would you lift your hand and say,
I'd like to do that?
Thank you.
With everyone's heads bowed,
I'd just love for you to slip up here
and sit on this front row,
if that's you right now.
If your hand's up,
just come on up and sit on this front row
and I'll come talk to you.
Is there anybody else who would say,
I just need prayer?
Just slip your hand up
and I'll pray for you.
Thank you.
I need prayer for something going on in my heart.
Thank you.
Lord, you know what's going on in their hearts.
I just pray that you would touch them right now.
You'd work in their situation.
You'd work in their life.
God, just move in our church, Lord.
This is your church.
You founded it.
You'll see it through.
You work, God.
It's in your name we pray.
Amen.