Following the Master - Mark 8:34 - Pastor Alex We are living in an age that no one wants to commit to anything. Commitment seems to be a burden to many people. Unfortunately, many who claim as Christians also think that they can have Jesus and the world at the same time. The lack of commitment is the curse of modern church. Here in Mark 8 we read that there is a large crowd was following Jesus and He fed them. He healed the blind man. Then he revealed His identity and purpose to His disciples. Jesus tells the gathered crowd that there is a high price attached to being His follower. Jesus says in clear terms that following Him is not an easy, feel good, cheap religious activity rather a costly commitment. Here we read the conditions Jesus is set to follow him. Jesus never tries to attract a crowd by giving them false hopes or wonderful promises. Jesus would be nightmare for modern day marketing managers. Every time He began to attract a large following, Jesus would share the risk involved with it. He would tell them how high the cost of following Him would be and the crowds would vanish. Jesus did this so that people would know the truth. He wanted them to know that it would not be cheap or easy to be His disciples. In this verse, Jesus shares a pattern for true discipleship. Come after me - When Jesus said these words, His men surely remembered when He first called them to follow Him. Some two and a half years ago, they had left everything to follow Jesus. They had left family, friends, occupations, and everything else in their lives to go with Jesus. To the rest of the crowd that day, this was a call to the new birth. It was a call to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. It was a call for them to turn their backs on everything else to go after Jesus. True salvation is about a radical commitment to leave the old life behind to follow Jesus into a new and very different life. Deny yourself - This phrase literally means, “to completely disown, to utterly separate oneself from someone.” Denying self is not the same thing as self-denial. Some people will practice self-denial by withholding certain things from themselves, like the athletes or sports man. Denying self is far more intense than that. Denying self implies that we stop listening to our own voice. We stop leaning on our own power. We stop trying to fulfill our own will and wishes. When we truly deny ourselves, we have no will but His will. We have no plans but His plans. We have no wants but what He wants for us. When we deny ourselves, we give up all our rights and we surrender all control of our life to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not a popular concept of the day. Most of the religious people are focused on catering to self. They want people to feel good about themselves. They want to build up people’s self-esteem. They want humanity to rejoice in his achievements and in his abilities. Jesus, on the other hand, wants humanity to know that without Him, they are nothing and can do nothing, John 15:5. Jesus is calling those who claim Him as their Savior to make a total commitment to His Lordship in their lives. He wants absolute control in every area of our lives. He calls on us to disown ourselves and give Him the reigns of our lives. Take up the cross - This phrase had much meaning for the people in Jesus’ day. In that day, a cross was not a piece of jewelry or a decoration on a church building. A cross was an instrument of shame, humiliation, suffering, torture and death. When a man took up his cross, he was beginning a death march. When Jesus called these people to take up their cross, they knew exactly what He was talking about! Sadly, that message has become clouded in our day. Some people think that the burdens of life are a cross they must bear. Some people say that a lost, abusive spouse, a wayward child or a crazy boss is their cross. Some people think that an illness or a physical handicap is their cross. The trials and hardships you face in this life are not your cross! When Jesus tells His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him, He is calling us to die to ourselves. He is calling us to commit to a lifestyle of living death, Gal. 2:20. He is calling us to willingly bear the shame, the reproach, the humiliation, the suffering, the hatred, the alienation and even the death that may come to those who are associated with Him. He is calling us to choose His will over our will. Cross is a conscious choice we make to do His will in our lives. We take up our cross when we choose the narrow way over the way of the world, regardless of the cost. To take up your cross means that you are willing to identify yourself with Jesus Christ, His death and His word, regardless of what it costs you personally, publically or financially! That’s not a side of Christianity you hear about very often! It is not popular to talk about sacrifice, death and suffering, but that is what Christianity is all about ! There are no cheap seats, but there is a high price to pay for being a genuine disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Follow Me The true disciple of Jesus turns his back on his self and his old life. The true disciple of Jesus takes up his cross and is willing to lay down everything for the glory of God. The true disciple of Jesus takes his place behind the Lord and he follows Jesus wherever He leads. The true disciple walks in total obedience and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ! This phrase is suggests continuing action. Jesus is calling His people to be constant followers. Some people follow on Sunday, but take a different path on Monday. Some people follow the Lord when they need help, but take another path when things get better. That is not what the Lord is looking for! Jesus is calling for His people to make a radical commitment to follow Him all the time, all the way to the end of their lives. The price of discipleship is high. Genuine salvation is about a radical commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we come to Jesus for salvation, we are giving up all of our rights. We are surrendering to His Kingship over ourselves. We are making a radical, eternal commitment to live as He sees fit. Genuine salvation is by faith through grace alone, but it produces drastic changes in the lives of all who receive it.
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 15:39:16 +0000
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