Communauté et discipulat

What Would You Lose.... (Lk. 9:23~27)

2019.01.06P. Stephen Cha

Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up the cross as a life of sacrifice, and follow him step by step, so that God can use us to bless others and extend his kingdom.

Christian labels must become a visible difference

Many people in the United States and Korea call themselves Christians, yet surveys show that believers are hardly distinguishable from unrepentant sinners in how they use money, handle divorce, and live their lives. It is easy to blame leaders or others, but we must look at ourselves. What should make us different is the God who transforms our lives with a new perspective, power, and love. The question is where that God is at work in our lives and in the lives of others.

Deny yourself and belong fully to Jesus (vv. 23)

To deny yourself means you are no longer your own boss and no longer let your old self run your life, because Jesus purchased you and is your Lord. Paul wrote that he had been crucified with Christ, and that it was no longer he who lived but Christ who lived in him. George Mueller, who ran an orphanage, reached a point where he counted himself dead to himself and surrendered his life to God. This surrender grows from Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. When we understand the cross, we find our identity and acceptance in him and can say daily, 'Jesus, I am yours.'

Take up the cross as a sacrifice for others

Taking up the cross is not wearing a cross necklace or only enduring hardships like a difficult boss or illness. Jesus' cross was literal and atoning, but for us it is a call to sacrifice as we carry the gospel to others. Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness and chose the path of sacrifice and service over bread, spectacle, and worldly power. We learn this path through God's Word and quiet time, where we hear his direction and choose to walk in it. Like Jesus, who withdrew to pray instead of following the crowd's wishes, we must follow God's way rather than our own.

Follow through when Jesus prompts us

Following Jesus is like a three-legged race, where we must keep in step with our partner. When Jesus says go, we go, and when he says stop, we stop. Many of us have few stories of God using us because we never gave Jesus a chance. Following through means acting on what he prompts, such as greeting a stranger or praying for someone. One member went to Thailand despite a chickenpox outbreak after reading 'do not be afraid' in his quiet time, and he found the blessing far greater than he had imagined. We must be willing to try and even fail, then trust God.

Be sent out as God's channel of blessing

Celtic monks would pray and then set out in a small coracle, trusting God to carry them where he willed, and through them the gospel reached many people in Europe. Like them, we are called to be sent. David Platt's five challenges in Radical Together give us practical steps: pray for the world using the Operation World app, read through the whole Bible, give sacrificially, go beyond our own context in mission, and join a small group that challenges us to live as God's vessels. By the end of this year, let us hope to have many stories of God using us.

Apply to Life

  • Let us deny ourselves daily and belong fully to Jesus as our Lord this year.
  • Let us take up the cross of sacrifice and share the gospel with the people around us.
  • Let us open God's Word in our quiet time and obey what he shows us.
  • Let us follow through when the Lord prompts us, even in small things like greeting a stranger or praying for someone.
  • Let us commit to at least one of these practices: praying with Operation World, reading the whole Bible, giving sacrificially, serving outside our comfort zone, or joining a small group that challenges us.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

← Retour à 영어 예배(English Service)