Prioritizing Christ: The Call to Sacrificial Discipleship

Devotional

Day 1: Prioritizing Jesus Above All Else

Jesus calls us to "hate" our family and our own lives, which means to love them less than we love Him. This is not about animosity but about prioritizing Jesus as the highest love in our lives. When we love Jesus more, we can love others better. This concept can be challenging to grasp, especially in a culture that places a high value on family and self-fulfillment. However, Jesus is clear that our love for Him must surpass all other loves. This doesn't mean neglecting our family or responsibilities but rather ensuring that our devotion to Jesus is paramount. When Jesus is our highest priority, our love for others becomes more profound and genuine because it flows from our relationship with Him. [29:08]

Luke 14:26 (ESV): "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

Reflection: Think about your daily priorities. Is there an area where you are placing something or someone above Jesus? How can you begin to reorient your life to make Jesus your highest priority today?

Day 2: Living Sacrificially

Carrying our cross means living a life of sacrificial love. Jesus' journey to the cross was one of ultimate sacrifice, and He calls us to follow in His footsteps. This involves putting others' needs before our own and living for God's glory rather than our own. Sacrificial living is not about grand gestures but about daily acts of love and service. It means being willing to give up our comfort, time, and resources for the sake of others. This kind of living reflects the heart of Jesus and brings glory to God. [37:16]

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others."

Reflection: Identify one specific way you can live sacrificially today. Is there someone in your life who needs your help or support? How can you put their needs before your own?

Day 3: Understanding the Cross as Love

While the cross is a symbol of suffering, it is also a profound symbol of love. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate act of love, and He calls us to carry our cross in the same spirit of sacrificial love. This means that our actions and decisions should be motivated by love, even when it involves personal sacrifice. The cross teaches us that true love is self-giving and seeks the good of others, even at a cost to ourselves. [32:40]

1 John 3:16 (ESV): "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you had to make a sacrifice. Was your motivation rooted in love? How can you ensure that your future actions are driven by the same sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated?

Day 4: Living for Something Greater

Jesus calls us to live for something and someone bigger than ourselves. This means serving God and His kingdom rather than seeking our own glory. Our lives should reflect the greatness of God and His purposes. Living for something greater involves a shift in perspective, where our goals and ambitions align with God's will. It means seeking to advance His kingdom through our actions, words, and decisions. When we live for God's glory, our lives take on a deeper meaning and purpose. [41:33]

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Reflection: Consider your current goals and ambitions. Are they aligned with God's purposes? What changes can you make to ensure that you are living for something greater than yourself?

Day 5: The Reward is Jesus

The ultimate reward for denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus is Jesus Himself. He is more than enough, and when we make Him the center of our lives, we find true fulfillment and purpose. This means that our greatest treasure and joy should be found in our relationship with Jesus. When we seek Him above all else, we experience the fullness of life that He promises. Jesus is the source of our hope, peace, and joy, and He is the ultimate reward for our faithfulness. [50:04]

Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV): "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Reflection: Reflect on your relationship with Jesus. Is He your greatest treasure and joy? How can you deepen your relationship with Him and make Him the center of your life today?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we explored the challenging words of Jesus in Luke 14:25-27, where He calls us to "hate" our family and even our own lives to be His disciples. This passage is often misunderstood, but it is crucial for our spiritual growth. The term "hate" here is better understood as "love less than." Jesus is not advocating for animosity but is emphasizing the need for Him to be our highest priority.

We also discussed the misconception that carrying our cross means bearing a physical burden. Instead, it signifies living a life of sacrificial love, just as Jesus did. The cross, often seen as a symbol of suffering, is also a profound symbol of love and sacrifice. Jesus calls us to live for something greater than ourselves, to put Him first in all aspects of our lives, and to live sacrificially for His glory.

The journey of discipleship is not easy. It requires us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus daily. This means prioritizing Jesus above all else, living sacrificially, and understanding that our ultimate reward is Jesus Himself. The more we love Jesus, the better we can love others and fulfill our roles in our families, communities, and churches.

###

Key Takeaways

1. Prioritizing Jesus Above All Else: Jesus calls us to "hate" our family and our own lives, which means to love them less than we love Him. This is not about animosity but about prioritizing Jesus as the highest love in our lives. When we love Jesus more, we can love others better. [29:08]
2. Living Sacrificially: Carrying our cross means living a life of sacrificial love. Jesus' journey to the cross was one of ultimate sacrifice, and He calls us to follow in His footsteps. This involves putting others' needs before our own and living for God's glory rather than our own. [37:16]
3. Understanding the Cross as Love: While the cross is a symbol of suffering, it is also a profound symbol of love. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate act of love, and He calls us to carry our cross in the same spirit of sacrificial love. [32:40]
4. Living for Something Greater: Jesus calls us to live for something and someone bigger than ourselves. This means serving God and His kingdom rather than seeking our own glory. Our lives should reflect the greatness of God and His purposes. [41:33]
5. The Reward is Jesus: The ultimate reward for denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus is Jesus Himself. He is more than enough, and when we make Him the center of our lives, we find true fulfillment and purpose. [50:04]
### [50:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[18:41] - Conviction on Prayer
[20:34] - Specific Prayer for Church Leaders
[22:42] - Introduction to the Series
[24:19] - The Story of Jerusalem
[26:15] - Misconceptions About the Verse
[27:37] - Misunderstanding "Hate"
[29:08] - Greek Translation of "Hate"
[30:53] - Self-Reflection on Priorities
[32:40] - Misconception About Carrying the Cross
[34:12] - Loving Jesus More
[35:39] - Sacrificial Living
[37:16] - The Cross as Love
[39:04] - Living Sacrificially for Jesus
[41:33] - Living for Something Greater
[43:52] - Serving in the Church
[45:36] - Denying Ourselves
[47:06] - Following Jesus
[48:18] - Help in the Journey
[50:04] - The Reward is Jesus
[51:41] - Final Question and Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Jesus mean when He says we must "hate" our family and our own lives to be His disciples? How is this term better understood? [27:37]
According to the sermon, what is the true meaning of "carrying our cross"? How does this differ from the common misconception? [32:40]
How does the pastor describe the cross in terms of love and sacrifice? [32:40]
What does the pastor say is the ultimate reward for denying ourselves and following Jesus? [50:04]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus use such strong language in Luke 14:25-27 to describe the cost of discipleship? How does this challenge our understanding of priorities? [29:08]
How does living sacrificially for Jesus differ from simply enduring hardships? What does it mean to live for God's glory rather than our own? [37:16]
In what ways does the pastor suggest that loving Jesus more enables us to love others better? How does this align with the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves? [35:39]
What does it mean to live for something greater than ourselves, according to the sermon? How does this perspective shift our daily actions and decisions? [41:33]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current priorities. Are there areas in your life where you need to "love less" in order to prioritize Jesus more? How can you make this shift practically? [29:08]
Think about a recent situation where you had to make a sacrifice. How did you handle it, and what can you learn from that experience about living sacrificially for Jesus? [37:16]
The pastor mentioned that loving Jesus more helps us love others better. Identify one relationship in your life that could benefit from you loving Jesus more. What steps can you take to deepen your love for Jesus and, in turn, improve that relationship? [35:39]
How can you incorporate the understanding of the cross as a symbol of love into your daily life? What specific actions can you take to demonstrate sacrificial love to those around you? [32:40]
Consider the idea of living for something greater than yourself. What are some practical ways you can serve God's kingdom in your community or church? How can you shift your focus from personal gain to God's glory? [41:33]
The pastor emphasized that the ultimate reward is Jesus Himself. How does this truth impact your motivation for following Jesus? What changes can you make in your life to keep Jesus at the center? [50:04]
Reflect on the pastor's question: "Do you want to follow Jesus?" What does denying yourself and taking up your cross look like in your current life situation? How can you commit to this path more fully? [47:06]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Satan's trying to do everything he can to destroy that even though he knows that god's wins he's trying to diminish or to stop us from enduring and continuing on and so I just want can just pray pray for them pray for this church so we're going to take a moment and have a time of prayer." [20:34] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The only way that I can love my wife better the only way that I can love my community better the only way that I can love my church better is if I learn to love Jesus more because the Bible says we love because he first loved us." [35:39] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The great reward of saying yes, I'm going to deny myself. The great reward of yes, I'm going to pick up my cross and I'm going to live sacrificially. Yes, I'm going to live for something so much bigger than myself, which is you, Jesus. The great reward of all that is very simply summed up in one great word. You ready for it? Jesus. It's just Jesus." [50:04] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "I want to be a great husband to my wife let me love Jesus with all that I am I want to be a great servant to this church to the community of Christ I've got to do that by loving Jesus more I have to learn to love him which means I have to dive deep into him I can't be afraid of the hard things that he says to me because the reality is the more and more that he chips away at me the more and more he's revealed in my life and I can't be afraid of that." [35:39] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "Jesus is calling us to have Jesus at the first of our life the first love of our lives when it says that we are to hate and again hate being less than love less than Jesus is saying his position of priority in our lives needs to be number one and so what Jesus is saying to me is micah i know that you love your wife i know that you love your job i know that you love your standing in community i know that you love your church i know that you love your reputation but what i've got to ask you is micah do you love me more." [34:12] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Jesus is calling us to live sacrificially we think of the cross as this gruesome excruciating death we think of the floggings the crown of thorns and it is all of that it's so much more Jesus looks at the cross as sacrificial living he comes to this earth for one purpose and one purpose only to pay a price for our sin if we will carry our cross with a life that is sacrificial is what Jesus is calling us to do." [37:16] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Jesus is calling us to live for something and someone bigger than ourselves obviously you can tell that I'm not going to live for something I'm going to live for something I'm going to live for something I'm going to live for something I've struggled with that point as well anytime I go through something or any time that I am doing something unfortunately my default is is what am I getting out of it why should I give you this much of my time and if I do what's my reward when I am the most important thing and trying to bring glory to myself becomes very unsuccessful in my life." [41:33] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The reality is we don't come here for whatever Jeffrey can provide us for we don't come here because we think Ashley is really really neat though those things are true and they are very helpful we come here because God has directed us to come here to be fed to be filled and to be able to serve for his kingdom I'm going to say it again because you're like well you're getting on us I'm not getting on you I'm encouraging you to do one thing and the one thing that I'm going to do is to do one thing only is to begin to allow God to use the greatness that you are, the skills and the abilities that you have to expand the kingdom of God here in this area of shirts." [43:52] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "I have to learn to love him which means I have to dive deep into him I can't be afraid of the hard things that he says to me because the reality is the more and more that he chips away at me the more and more he's revealed in my life and I can't be afraid of that and so I'm just sharing with you this morning the stuff that I had to go through to deal with what the things I wish Jesus didn't say because he wants us to have him as the number one love of my life the first love of our lives." [35:39] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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