A. What does the Lord have to say about those who are to serve Him or act as His spokesman?
B. What message and/or warnings can we isolate for our particular
APPRECIATION
AND
APPLICATION
THE LESSONS:
Matthew 10:32-39 or 16:24-28
a. THE IDEA OF THE CROSS
Matthew 10:38 "Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not Worthy of Me"
Matthew 16: 24 "If anyone would come after me, He must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"
b. TO PROVE WORTHY OF THE CROSS, WE MUST BEAR THE CROSS
c. The Cross - as a Definition
1. Invented by the Persians
2. Handed down to the Romans
3. A Hideous way to die
d. IT IS A PROCESS
Condemned Person carried their own Cross (cross beam)
Then at the place of execution they were "STRAPPED TO IT"
or "NAILED TO IT"
On the way to the place of execution, a tablet was hung around the neck that stated the charges
Finally, the individual was LIFTED UP AND LEFT TO ROT
THIS WAS COMMON PRACTICE DURING THE LIFE TIME OF JESUS
e. THE LORD TIES TO THE
THEREFORE: THE CROSS BECOMES A DRASTIC MEASURE
SHAMEFUL
TORTURE
PUNISHMENT
HUMILIATING DEFEAT
JESUS SAYS = No Cross = No Personal Cross
No Discipleship
WHAT DID HE MEAN TO "TAKE UP YOUR CROSS"
(1) It is a concept or a way of life ---A staple of Daily Experience or
a daily experience that can be summed up in three words"
(2) The Lord Brings together THREE Things
Cross
Death
The sum of all the above
(3) Certain things that the "Cross" is not:
SICKNESS
OLD AGE
NOT ACCIDENTIAL SUFFERING
The
Willing Acceptance of Burdens
Heartaches Things we take on and
Labor Shoulder ourself
Purpose
(4) REASON: We look at the World , Life, Humans
From the Vantage Point of the Beam
THERE ARE:
SOULS TO BE SAVED
DEPRIVED TO BE CARED FOR
SICK TO MINISTERED TO
TEMPTATION TO BE SHUNED
CHURCHES TO BE DEVELOPED
CONCERN TO BE MUTUALLY PRACTICED
This Cannot --- Will not be Separated- One From another
The Combination of these things =THE CROSS
(5) UNAVOIDABLE IMAGERY
SELF BURDEND
Christians by the All on the Cross
SELF ERECTED Thousands
SELF MAINTAINED
But: In the Bible the burden of the cross is on the SELF INFLICTED
(6) THEREFORE THE CHURCH BECOMES ONLY ONE THING
THESE ARE STRONG WORDS
NOTHING FANCY
JESUS IS VERY BLUNT ABOUT THIS
HE SAID: "Not Worthy of Me"
The
Beginning of Obedience IT IS A THIS POINT
Acceptance No Plea Bargaining
Salvation No Special Arrangements
No Mitigating Circumstances
Jesus implies: "When I see you it had better be on the Cross of Self-Denial"!
MATT:
16:24 "HE MUST DENY HIMSELF
A Stern Word: Disown
Renounce
Discharge
Matthew 26:34- "Before the Cock Crows you will (DISOWN) ME THREE TIMES.
(7) DEATH RECOGNIZED AS THE GREAT EQUALIZER OF MANKIND
At the point of death we are all equal
Rich/Poor
Educated/ Ignorant We all become very much alike at death
Strong/Weak
Famous/Obscure
Same Principle true of Spiritual Kingdom:
When we die to self: We become one United People
When we take up the cross (Congregation)
(8) This in turn is
ONE OF THE KEYS TO UNITY IN THE CHURCH
THE OBVIOUS PRINCIPLE IS: Then no fruitfulness
NO BEING LIFTED UP
NO CROSS BEARING
NO DYING TO SELF
(9) THE PERSONAL CROSS HAS RIVALS
Things That Win
our Efforts more than the Personal Cross
The Lord
Identified Three:
LOVE OF FAMILY
LOVE OF SELF
WORLDY AMBITION
Now
we have a NEW ORDER OF PRIORITES:
Earthly
relationships must not replace Christ
RISKING RELATIONSHIPS IS: DISTURBING
TRAMATIC
BUT LOVING OTHERS MORE THAN CHRIST SQUEEZES US INTO
POSITIONS
OF
BEING MANIPULATED BY THE WISHES
BEING CONTROLED WANTS
VALUES OF
OTHERS
AND NOT
CHRIST
IDEALLY: IF CHRIST IS PARAMOUNT THEN EARTHLY RELAITOSHIPS WILL BE ENRICHED, BUT NOT ALWAYS
IT WILL BE HARD, BUT IF NECESSARY - DEFY
THOSE CLOSEST TO YOU- RISK THEIR
LOVE Now if this is TRUE of FAMILY
SCORN
PREJUDICE What of others?
REPRISALS
Jesus says: "THE DECESION HAS BEEN MADE FOR YOU"
LOVE OF
SELF MATTHEW 16:25
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."
This calls for a radical self examination
Have we traded Integrity for Status
Are we undisciplined, Self indulging
Do we want to escape from our duties
Are we consumer oriented (want more and more)
Are we driven by entertainment
REBELLIOUS AND RESENT AUTHORITY
(If so, to much love of self)
worldly
ambitions
Matthew 16:25 "What good will it do a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his soul."
Cross Bearing Produces Two Attendant Insights
NATURE OF THE WORLD
NATURE OFWORLDY THINGS-PEOPLE
JOHN 12:24 " I tell you the truth unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed, but if it dies it provides many seeds."
ANTHEMA TO ANY DISCIPLE: Is Self-Containment
That
is: Living As Single Seeds is self love
Functioning
worldly attitude
Thinking
We must fall to Earth =Releasing our Vast Potential!
Programs
Fail
Good Intentions Fail Because of the Sin of
Discouragement Sets in Self Containment
Matthew 9:14-17
A question about the Pharisees and John's Disciples in
Regard to FASTING
V.14 "BUT YOUR DISCIPLES DO NOT FAST"
The Law requires only one day of fasting on the Day of Atonement
Fasting by the times of Jesus became
---Act of Hypocrisy
---Show of Humility
--- Show of sorrow
---There are some Noticeable Differences between
Pharisees
and those with Jesus
John's Disciples
Reflected no sorrow - Sadness- Had no reason to Fast=
(Notice,
the Lord did not try and dampen joy =
---Jesus' illustrations by which He answered questions!
v. 15 "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."
THE ANSWER OF COURSE WAS NO - BUT
Certain things are inappropriate for People who are with Jesus
v. 16 " No one puts a piece of un-shrunk cloth on an old garment since the patch tears away from the garment; and a worst tear is made."
The un-shrunk piece of wool on the old garment - new piece will shrink when washed and tear itself out of the garment.
The Illustration is Clear
There
are somethings that are counterproductive.
Don't mix and patch or put things together that don't work.
v. 17 " Neither is new wine put into old wind-skins: if it is the wind-skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed: But new wine is put into fresh wind-skins, and so both are preserved."
New Wine - Juice before fermentation
Wine-skins - animal hides scraped clean and turned inside out. Leg sewed shut, neck becomes neck of bottle.
During fermentation: Skins naturally expand. After process, skins become stiff and brittle. So---New Wine i old wine-skins means old will not allow for expansion and all is lost.
So, we must put new wine in new skins
Old wine in old skins
Jesus' new wine of salvation is not to be confused with the ridged format of the Jews.
Inappropriate
counterproductive
Futile
You can't put two things together that don't
work
The Presence of Jesus in your life must eliminates :
Hypocrisy
Insincere humility
False Sorrow
The principle
goes beyond this to other things as well
Throughout the
Lord's sermons Jesus repeatedly
parables
appealed to
(1) [Worship and Wrangling] - Matt. 5:21-23
---New Wine in Old Skins
--- Personal Animosities disrupt personal worship
--- Futile to come to Altar of worship when hearts are drawn up and wagons circled.
(2) [Love and hate] Matt. 5:43-48
---love excludes hate
---Hate
comes in all Forms
Shapes But strip veneer away and we still haved
Sizes hate
Many Faces
---Hate: Causes pain Love brings "relief"
death "life"
ugliness "and is beautiful"
---Remember, hate was only a word until someone
Feet to walk
Hands to work
Gave it A tongue to talk
A heart to hurt
(3) [Piety and Publicity] Matt. 6: 1-15
---Two acts of Piety --- Alms - Prayer
----- ------
v.1 v.5
---Piety and Publicity do not go together
It is inappropriate and God does not want it!
It is counterproductive = no reward
It is futile=can loose everything
Must always remember, it does not matter who gets the credit
---otherwise, it is new patches on old garments
(4) [Salvation and Silver] Matt. 6:19-20
---can't pour your work into a materialism
---it won't work
---one can't hold the other
(5) [Trust and Anxiety] Matt. 6:25-34
---They are opposite of each other
---will not work
---Trust automatically excludes anxiety
---does not rule out concern
---does not rule out effort
People
---plow
plant we call that work
reap
---but life does not consist or depend on this. It depends on God. Phil. 4:6
---New
wine in old wine skins is always
inappropriate
counterproductive
futile
(6) [Beelzebub and the Spirit of God] Matt. 12:22-37
---Jesus heals the demon possessed man
---He this is Falsely accused
---Cannot put these things together
---v. 30 "He who is not with me is against me"
Then, Christ and sin are mutually exclusive
To be with Christ, must be against sin
To mix to two is to be against Christ
---v.30 "And He who does not gather with me scatters"
Now we have an either or situation
---The Spirit of God Excludes ---Beelzebub
Kingdom of God " " Satan
Church " " Devil
Being with Christ " " Being Against
Christ
Gathering " " Scattering
v. 33- 36 = Practicality
Good Fruit excludes bad fruit
Good excludes evil
Good Treasure excludes evil treasure
Good words excludes bad words
---Bottom line_________________________Spirit of God excludes
ARE Like
words
thoughts
attitudes
practices
influences
(7) [FAITH AND BARRENESS] Matthew 21: 18-22
---The Lord expects fruit
---When He does not get fruit ---He judges
---His illustration
You can have one or the other---but not both
---Teaching Useless Things invites Disaster
PROFESSION WITHOUT PRACTICE IS CONDEMNED
Canohi says that it is like pouring new wine in old wine-skins.
THE DYNAMIC OF PRAYER
Gives ability to accept, and to bear!
(8) [Wisdom and Foolishness] Matt. 25:1-13
---Parable of the ten Virgins
---All had lamps
Five brought only oil in the lamps
Five brought extra oil.
Bridegroom tarried and they ran out of oil
vs. 11, 12 "Open up to us" ....But..."I don't know you" "Watch, you know neither the day ...or the hour"
AND
Are
Incompatible
(a) [RESPONSIBILITY AND SMALLNESS] = MATT. 25: 14-30
---These do not go together
---Three men = with talents each according to his ability
1-5 talents
2-2 talents
3-1 talent
---First two doubled what the master had given
---Third returned with no increase
---responsibility is placed on all according to their ability
---yet, degree of responsibility must be met not with
Small with
mindedness but initiative
Assertiveness
---Smallness plagues the church
---Question: Are we meeting great responsibility with smallness?
---Maybe we have small churches and not in size either but churches with small Christians.
---Revelation 3: 7-13 the church of Philadelphia
---Responsibility and Smallness
---un-shrunk patches on old Garments
---new wine in old wine-skins
inappropriate
counterproductive
futile
(10) [Knowing Jesus and Passiveness] Matt. 25: 31-46
--- At the judgment, the Lord will say to some
----I was hungry = you gave me food
-----I was thirsty = you gave me drink
-----I was a stranger = you welcomed me
-----I was in Prison= you came to me
----I was naked = You clothed me
{they saw the need and they responded}
---Lesson --- Can't know Jesus and be Passive to Human Needs
---Has
physical application - Hungry
Thirsty Can't be passive to this
Imprisoned
Naked
Strangers
Human need touched Jesus: He was aggressive with a purpose
He sought to lift men-women-boys-girls up to ease their burdens
---so Jesus puts Himself and us
into the filth of every city in the world
into every cell block
Among
Starving
Naked
Thirsty of every tribe and every
Sick tongue
---What kind of world do we look on?
hurts
A
world ---a world over which Jesus
anguishes
---This has a spiritual Application:
The world has a deep need
Would cost billions
[and we are more or less passive]
[are we doing our share]
---you might say, the Lord does not expect us to do what we can't
---we
don't have enough ===people
time to feed and clothe
money the world's needy
---we can be concerned
---Never shun such burdens
but at the same time we ought not face them
to avoid guilt
To know Jesus and be passive is like
un-shrunk patches on old garments
new wine in old wine skins
fasting at a feast
INAPPROPRIATE
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE
FUTILE
by Lane Rogers