Radical Commitment: The True Cost of Discipleship
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, church family. Today, we delved into Mark 8:34-38, where Jesus outlines the requirements for being His disciple. Before diving into the text, I shared an update on our church building project. Despite setbacks, we remain hopeful and prayerful, trusting God to open doors for us.
In our scripture, Jesus calls the crowd and His disciples to a radical commitment: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." This call to self-denial and taking up one's cross is not a casual invitation but a profound challenge to live a life fully surrendered to Christ. Jesus makes it clear that following Him involves losing our lives to gain true life in Him. This paradox of losing to gain, dying to live, and suffering to find glory is central to the Christian faith.
I shared personal anecdotes to illustrate the importance of understanding and meeting the requirements of discipleship. Just as I had to meet specific requirements to secure a loan, we must meet Jesus' requirements to be His followers. This involves a complete transformation of our minds, morals, and manners, all under the lordship of Christ.
Jesus' words challenge us to reject a comfortable, self-centered version of Christianity. Instead, we are called to a life marked by self-denial and a willingness to suffer for the sake of the gospel. This is not about partial change but a total transformation empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our identity is no longer in ourselves but in Christ alone.
We also discussed the importance of valuing things differently. Jesus uses the metaphor of a treasure hidden in a field and a pearl of great value to illustrate that the kingdom of God is worth giving up everything for. This is not a call to asceticism but a call to use all that we have for His kingdom and glory.
In conclusion, following Jesus is not about a comfortable life but a committed one. It involves self-denial, taking up our cross, and valuing the eternal over the temporal. Let us embrace this call with joy, knowing that it leads to true life and eternal glory.
### Key Takeaways
1. Self-Denial as a Core Value: Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, putting His will before our own. This self-denial is not about losing our personality but about allowing Christ to transform us completely. Our identity is now fully in Christ, and we must live out His will, not our own. [23:38]
2. Taking Up Your Cross: This phrase signifies a one-way trip of total commitment to Christ, even if it leads to suffering and death. It’s a call to be dead to the world and alive in Christ, understanding that true life comes through this radical commitment. [27:41]
3. Radical Change in Perspective: Following Jesus means viewing life differently. We are not to preserve our lives for ourselves but to be ready to lose them for the sake of Jesus and the gospel. This eternal perspective changes how we live and what we value. [34:48]
4. Valuing the Kingdom of God: Jesus illustrates that the kingdom of God is worth giving up everything for. Like a treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great value, the kingdom is a great buy at any price. This calls us to use all we have for His kingdom and glory. [38:51]
5. The Power of the Holy Spirit: The transformation Jesus calls us to is impossible on our own but is made possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. This divine strength enables us to say yes to Jesus and no to our flesh, living a life that glorifies Him. [26:21]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[02:07] - Church Building Update
[03:19] - Prayer and Introduction
[04:41] - Reading Mark 8:34-38
[06:14] - The Requirements of Discipleship
[07:00] - Personal Anecdote: Loan Requirements
[09:40] - The Strength to Follow Jesus
[12:23] - Divine Intervention and Strength
[13:40] - Peter’s Confession and Misunderstanding
[16:28] - The Paradox of Suffering and Glory
[18:02] - Jesus is the Only Way
[19:39] - The Distinct Marks of a Christian Life
[22:10] - Self-Denial and Its Importance
[25:01] - Total Transformation in Christ
[27:41] - Taking Up Your Cross
[30:51] - Suffering for Christ
[32:12] - The Eternal Perspective
[34:48] - Radical Change in Perspective
[36:15] - Valuing the Kingdom of God
[38:51] - The Great Buy: Kingdom of God
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
- Mark 8:34-38 (ESV): "And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.'"
### Observation Questions
1. What are the two main requirements Jesus outlines for being His disciple in Mark 8:34?
2. According to the sermon, what does Jesus mean by "taking up your cross"? [27:41]
3. How does Jesus describe the paradox of losing one's life to gain it in Mark 8:35?
4. What metaphor does Jesus use to illustrate the value of the Kingdom of God, as mentioned in the sermon? [38:51]
### Interpretation Questions
1. What does self-denial look like in the context of following Jesus, according to the sermon? [23:38]
2. How does the concept of taking up one's cross challenge the idea of a comfortable Christianity? [30:51]
3. Why is it important to have a radical change in perspective when following Jesus, as discussed in the sermon? [34:48]
4. How does the power of the Holy Spirit enable believers to meet the requirements of discipleship? [26:21]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: In what areas do you find it challenging to deny yourself and put Jesus' will before your own? How can you start making changes in those areas this week? [23:38]
2. Think about a situation where you might need to "take up your cross." What does that look like for you, and how can you prepare yourself to face it with faith and commitment? [27:41]
3. How can you shift your perspective to value eternal things over temporal ones? Identify one practical step you can take this week to focus more on the Kingdom of God. [34:48]
4. The sermon mentioned the importance of total transformation empowered by the Holy Spirit. What is one specific area in your life where you need the Holy Spirit's help to change? [26:21]
5. Jesus calls us to a life of self-denial and suffering for the sake of the gospel. How can you embrace this call with joy, knowing it leads to true life and eternal glory? [30:51]
6. Reflect on the metaphor of the treasure hidden in a field or the pearl of great value. What are you willing to give up to fully pursue the Kingdom of God? [38:51]
7. How can you use your current resources and blessings to further God's Kingdom and glory? Identify one specific action you can take this week to do so. [38:51]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Self-Denial
Description: Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, putting His will before our own. This self-denial is not about losing our personality but about allowing Christ to transform us completely. Our identity is now fully in Christ, and we must live out His will, not our own. This transformation involves a complete overhaul of our minds, morals, and manners, all under the lordship of Christ. It is a call to reject a comfortable, self-centered version of Christianity and embrace a life marked by self-denial and a willingness to suffer for the sake of the gospel. This is not about partial change but a total transformation empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our identity is no longer in ourselves but in Christ alone. [23:38]
Luke 9:23-24 (ESV): "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'"
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 2: The Commitment of Taking Up Your Cross
Description: Taking up your cross signifies a one-way trip of total commitment to Christ, even if it leads to suffering and death. It’s a call to be dead to the world and alive in Christ, understanding that true life comes through this radical commitment. This involves a willingness to endure hardship and persecution for the sake of the gospel, knowing that our ultimate reward is eternal life with Christ. This commitment is not a casual decision but a profound dedication to live a life fully surrendered to Jesus, no matter the cost. [27:41]
Galatians 2:20 (ESV): "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Reflection: Think of a recent challenge or hardship you faced. How can you view this situation as an opportunity to take up your cross and follow Jesus more closely?
Day 3: A Radical Change in Perspective
Description: Following Jesus means viewing life differently. We are not to preserve our lives for ourselves but to be ready to lose them for the sake of Jesus and the gospel. This eternal perspective changes how we live and what we value. It calls us to prioritize the eternal over the temporal, understanding that our true treasure is in heaven. This shift in perspective challenges us to live with a kingdom mindset, focusing on what truly matters in the light of eternity. [34:48]
Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."
Reflection: What is one earthly pursuit or value that you need to re-evaluate in light of eternity? How can you begin to shift your focus towards the eternal today?
Day 4: Valuing the Kingdom of God
Description: Jesus illustrates that the kingdom of God is worth giving up everything for. Like a treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great value, the kingdom is a great buy at any price. This calls us to use all we have for His kingdom and glory. It is not a call to asceticism but a call to prioritize God's kingdom above all else, using our resources, time, and talents for His purposes. This perspective helps us to see the true value of the kingdom and motivates us to live sacrificially for the sake of the gospel. [38:51]
Matthew 13:44-46 (ESV): "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."
Reflection: What is one thing you can do this week to invest more in God's kingdom? How can you use your resources, time, or talents to further His purposes?
Day 5: The Power of the Holy Spirit
Description: The transformation Jesus calls us to is impossible on our own but is made possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. This divine strength enables us to say yes to Jesus and no to our flesh, living a life that glorifies Him. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live out the radical commitment of discipleship, providing the strength and guidance we need to follow Jesus faithfully. This reliance on the Holy Spirit is essential for living a life that is fully surrendered to Christ and aligned with His will. [26:21]
Ephesians 3:16-17 (ESV): "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need the Holy Spirit's strength and guidance? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to empower you in these areas today?
Quotes
1. "Jesus is literally saying, these are the requirements of being a follower of Jesus. Immediately, some of you guys are going to be like, wait, what? Requirements to follow Jesus? What? I thought we just, you know, Jesus is in my heart and that's it. I don't want to say the wrong thing right now. So here's what I'm going to say. Whoever may have taught you anything in the past that makes you think that something other than what Jesus says is right is wrong. I don't know another way to say that. Okay. I say it with a smile on my face now too. That was like mean face before. Ooh, right? With joy in our hearts, Jesus has been so good to us that he has made it clear what we are to do as followers of Jesus." [11:06] (51 seconds)
2. "So people, they like to think that Christianity is just about us kind of like trying to hang in there, you know? You get this picture with some people, it's like you're just kind of like white knuckling it. Okay, if I just hold on long enough, then we'll get to heaven. And you kind of get that look on your face where you're like saved, and you're angry about it, and everybody looks at you like, what is wrong with this guy? If that's where we're at, we're doing it wrong, okay? That's not what Jesus has for us. I want you to understand that just like Jesus opening your eyes, opening your ears, opening your heart, so that the message of the gospel just came alive within you, and it took him touching your life to do that." [12:23] (36 seconds)
3. "It's his strength in us that allows us to follow him. It's his strength. It's his strength in us that gives us that sustaining power to be able to walk this out through the rest of our lives. So look, just like it was a miracle when Jesus saved us, it's a continuing miracle as he refines us and he allows us to do his will. And us doing it, it's not because, man, I'm getting a lot stronger. I'm doing a lot better. It's not about you. It's all about Jesus. It's all about what he is doing in us and through us. He gives us the strength to believe and to follow. And that's what we're going to hear about today. And it all comes by the grace of God." [13:40] (60 seconds)
4. "What Jesus was saying is to follow him is not this casual, easy, cushy, comfortable thing where everybody hears the message that they want to hear. It's a bunch of, like, pop psychology and self-help. That's not what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Jesus' words and his life challenged everyone that heard it that day, and it challenges us today. And here's the thing, you know, I truly believe this. Most people, they don't reject Jesus because of Jesus. They reject Jesus because followers of Jesus ignore what we read today." [16:28] (39 seconds)
5. "Let me make this abundantly clear. Jesus is saying this. He is the only way to God. That's it. It's not through meditation. It's not through an enlightened path. It's not through the five-fold path of Islam. It's not through nirvana. It's not through reincarnation. None of that. He says, he is the only way. And I need to say this, and you need to hear me, okay? Everyone grasp this one. Receive this, because this is the truth. If you believe that there is some other way to God other than Jesus, you are not a follower of Jesus." [18:02] (37 seconds)
6. "To be a Christian means that it is Christ alone that saves us. It is Christ alone that sustains us. It is Christ alone that delivers us. It is the cross and his resurrection that sets us free from sin, and nothing else can do that. And that may not be a popular teaching in today's culture, but we're not here to be popular. We are here to be salt and light. We are here because we have been made different by Jesus. That our life should have the distinct marks of Jesus Christ all over them. That we should do what we are called to do in the scripture today." [19:39] (60 seconds)
7. "The issue is simply this, is that when someone claims to be a Christ follower, and there's no change in their life, and the people that knew them before they claimed Jesus and after, see that they're still mean to their spouse. See that they still speak to people in anger. See that they're still a boss that lines the floor with bodies to get the results that they want in their business. That treat people without respect or dignity. That cheat on their taxes. That are unfaithful. All that stuff that allow addictions into their life to get worse and worse and worse, and they just claim Jesus. When the world sees that, they say, if that's who Jesus is, I want nothing to do with Jesus. I want nothing to do with that. And quite frankly, I don't blame them." [20:53] (60 seconds)
8. "Self-denial is a part of following Jesus. In fact, we have this as a core value at Peak City. We say it this way. We say, it's not about me. We say this in the context of we're an evangelistic church. We're always looking out for the people that we haven't reached yet. Like we exist for the people that aren't here yet that need to hear about Jesus. And that is a selfless heart. And that's what God is calling of his people for us to be. Selfless, looking out to others, putting Jesus' will first before our will. I'm gonna say it again. Putting Jesus' will first before our will. Yeah? Self-denial. This is one of the requirements of following Jesus Christ." [23:38] (44 seconds)
9. "When we submit our life, our will, our desires, everything that we are to Jesus, the transformation that comes is complete and total transformation. And it only happens by the power of the Holy Spirit. You're like, man, that must be hard to do. Yeah, it's actually impossible on your own, but not with the power of the Holy Spirit that gives you the ability to say yes to Jesus and no to your flesh, to say yes to his desires and put yours on the back burner to glorify him with your life. That is the power that comes from him in Jesus' name." [25:01] (60 seconds)
10. "What Jesus was using here was this extreme, extreme metaphor. As soon as he said, if you're going to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me, everyone that heard it, the ears of the Jewish hearers, the ears of the Gentile hearers, the non-Jewish people, they lived in Roman society and they all immediately paid attention. Because what Jesus was saying brought a word picture into their minds. Because they saw in their own towns, when it looked like some people were trying to put pressure against Rome and not do what the Roman government wanted, how the soldiers walked into town and took every man and woman they could. They thought was a dissenter and nailed them all to crosses and lined the main street of their entire town with all the townspeople and just let them die." [29:05] (47 seconds)