Consecration in Action

Is Jesus talking about something is going to happen in the future. They talk about his exit will say this is crucifixion and his resurrection and his ascension talking to Jesus all in the work of God.

You can imagine that Peter and James and John never forgot his early expression of the kingdom of God and the king and his glory. And here's the point. Jesus wants us to remember something is going that next factors might you consider in making that decision you want to consider things like the financial impact or what changes might come to your lifestyle and level of comfort you might want some input from your friends and family. Probably other factors that I'm not thinking in our passage today. Jesus challenged his disciples to do something very hard. He asked them to give up their freedom of choice and allow him to determine their path and their future.

Stay with us to learn the implications for you in a lesson called consecration in action what you imagine your life in terms of a corporate boardroom in some high-rise fortune 500 company is along oval mahogany table surrounded by leather black chairs and executive committee is seated around the table. Every member represents a different aspect of your life you have seated there your private self your work self, your home, life, self your financial self your moral self your recreational self more.

Most of the time.

There is conflict in that boardroom as decisions are made, not every department agrees with the other.

There is often tension in the room as members of each department argue and debate question and finally vote.

It's rarely a unanimous decision. I think of that when I think of the average perspectives in the church at large. Today, that the following Jesus means you invite him in to the boardroom to serve on that committee. You see them at the head of the table.

Maybe.

Maybe you make them. The chairman you give him a vote, but then he just becomes one more complication out one more voice in the debate of how you should run your life. I want you to know as we prepare to enter this the scene biblically that viewpoint in the mind of the Lord, and in view of Scripture is that Jesus comes in and that boardroom any fires.

Every committee member, every last one of it means saying to the Lord, Lord, there's only one vote, and you've got it yours alone. You run every department of my life.

Now if you go back with me to Luke's gospel were in chapter 9 and verse 23 and following any said to them if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For letter would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it for what is it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself or whoever is ashamed of me and of my words of him with the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the father and of the holy angels before I expound our way through this text I want to clear up some misunderstanding. I have read commentary and I've heard sermons by individuals that I appreciate but it it it surprises me to read or hear from individuals who believe as strongly as I do in justification by faith alone.

Come to this passage and essentially turn it around into justification by faith plus works that it wouldn't say it that way but they use this passage as a legalistic checklist on salvation that the turnaround essentially communicate that if you're ashamed of the Lord in any point in time, you're probably not say if you're not willing to deny yourself.

You're probably not saved.

If you're not willing to die for Christ at any moment and you're probably not say the end of the kind of sermon or commentary.

Everybody is essentially unsure of their salvation and I am to MNS because no one consistently denies themselves carries their cross and speak slowly for Christ. We want to but for honest none of us do. Anna passes like this sort becomes a club to get people in the line or down front of the end of the service if they think or hope they're going to heaven. First of all, Jesus is speaking here to his disciples in the context is one of clarification. He's just informed them is going to be killed, and the implication is he's given the more information were given in the Gospels because they assume or notes implied that it's the cross, which he now becomes or uses becomes in his hand in the lustration for them. Jesus informs them that their path isn't in their lifetime. Going to lead to a crown, but to across and not surprising news. Secondly, if you look back at verse 23, he doesn't say if anyone wants to get saved, let him deny himself to interpret it that way turners the free gift of God into something you are if you want to be safe. Do this, pick up your cross daily more in the later, thirdly, Jesus tells them to do something daily, take up your cross, which means that if, on any given day you don't take up your cross do you lose your salvation, or does that prove you never had it.

What if it goes on for a week or months.

This kind of message leads the believer into introspection, which is one of the devil's greatest ploys.

It leads to insecurity rather than gratitude for the gift of God through Christ and to especially the conscientious believer. It leads to disillusionment and despair. And I have spent 35 years. Talking with believers who love the Lord who read this or hear a sermon on this or read commentary on this and assume they don't measure up this message from Jesus is not about salvation it's about consecration in action. In other words, this is a lesson here on how to become a believer or even out of proof to yourself or others that you are a believer. This is how to live as a believer.

Do you want a consecrated life discipleship here this. I like the words of Warren wears be in as little commentary on this passage is that this passage is not about son ship.

It's about discipleship.

It's for believer now without the Lord begins here in verse 23, by delivering three verb in the original text and are all imperative to put an exclamation point after each one is done in my text and the first one I give it to you in principle form is this this is going to involve an attitude of humility for the disciple. Verse 23 if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself exclamation point. Now I have to tell you the church for centuries very quickly turned this passage into legalism their own form corrupted in their dislike of justification by faith alone. They created all sorts of legalistic, and in mystical experiences and exercises in order to earn the grace of God you not go far. Or you can research as I've done you go back to the fourth century. For instance you a man by the name of Simeon, a monk by the name of Simeon's style lights. The elder lived in in the town of Antioch where one time there been up bustling church gospel church so modern-day Turkey.

He was a monk, you became famous for his denial of personal comfort. He took this text and then began this very austere life. He literally lived in a small enclosure built on top of a pillar of for 37 years. It was said by the church and church leaders that he reached the state of spiritual perfection and purity because of what he was denying his personal comforts, crowds would literally flock to that pillar to hear a word from them and he got so bothered by them that he began to increase the height of the pillar and eventually reached 80 feet high. Make me dizzy. That would be a feat all its own lived on their on top and hoist up to for 37 years he would be venerated by the church, but the Orthodox and Catholic church sainted. He's considered St. Simeon why because he denied himself the comforts of life and I'll tell you instead of being venerated.

He should have been counsel to come down from there and get on with life. The church also in the fourth century developed the season of Lent that was developed for those that were supposedly more spiritually minded they would give up something for 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday. It was all done to set up for the absolution of sin. It was done to reach a higher level of spirituality you did that by giving up something good, something you liked it could be anything for me would probably be chocolate which is not giving up for dictation. Wonder if this is what Jesus is talking. The verb to deny yourself doesn't mean deny yourself something good. Let me put it this way denying yourself in this context is not the same thing as depriving yourself, but let me tell you that that this actually refers here to something much more difficult then depriving yourself of something you like it it's it's much harder that he was sitting on a pillar for 37 years. In fact, it's impossible apart from the spirit of God. You'll notice again.

He's referring to denying yourself putting yourself last surrendering your agenda releasing good desires are good things, but self-centered thing self-centered with deny that it's easier to give up chocolate. The do that affect the height of self-centeredness is saying him to live by myself. Somewhere nobody will bother me by cottage somewhere in the rep to see anybody again believe this rat race to leave people behind him in a go live by myself and for that's the height of song pillar 80 feet near the living reach me.

Jesus is not telling the disciples to escape the world is telling them to enter their world and enter it with an attitude of selfless humility. That's a daily battle to battle of our hearts battle over flesh battle in her mind fact because of our fallen nature. It shows up fairly early the shows a pretty early start young. So he sent me an email this week.

Mom was preparing pancakes for her sons.

Kevin was is five and Ryan is three and she's negative pancakes. They start arguing about who's going to get the first bank can imagine the mother saw an opportunity to talk about the humility of Jesus, and she said not boys. If Jesus were sitting here, he would say let my brother have the first pancake I thought about that for a moment then Kevin looked at his little brother and said okay Ryan you be Jesus life works really well and everybody else acts like Jesus right remembers that many long before the disciples are are you doing over is the greatest because the first pancake is the best crowding is best thrown deny that battle that fight that you demonstrate consecration in action Jesus mentally causes disciples to understand this is going to involve an attitude and humility. Salience can involve a daily priority. Verse 23.

Again Jesus is, let him deny himself and take up!

Take up his cross daily and again I just want to pause in and straighten out a wrong interpretation. If there's something to get you daily and orderly say or even approve yourself and your saved. There were all in in trouble because of our honest, not a lot of us lives every day like we should live as his disciple, but that finally doesn't mean the goal changes were not dumbing this down hoping to elevated correctly so that we depend entirely on the Holy Spirit is consecrated disciple. This is our desire. This is our direction in life. Take his cross daily before you get out of bed okay. My going to do this throughout the carrying your cross, Jesus is saying is going to communicate to your world as a disciple, that your life no longer belong to you do that daily. Thirdly, it will involve a surrendered identity. Jesus says in verse 23, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me exclamation point. Frankly, all three commands really say the same thing, just in the little different manner with a little different nuance or application. The verb to follow is exactly what we think it would mean it it means to move behind someone and then traveled in the same direction behind so I don't you notice the obvious, to follow Christ means he determines the direction if you're following Jesus. That means he's in front now with that only hasten on Jesus gives three reasons why disciple should live this way. In fact, you could circle were little short three times versus 24, 25 and 26 it's the little work for begins each verse, at least in my translation that's the little Greek particle that explains we could translate it because for this is why just set that that's what for means.

Jesus gives three reasons then why we should live his consecrated disciple. The only put in principle for number one because it will keep you from becoming absorbed with her in your own life. Verse 24 forever would say were because what I'm saying this because whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it how people see the word save here and easily run to the subject of salvation saved is what you gonna do wait to saved is a justification by faith alive or faith plus whatever to do. The Greek term for soul here.

Sue K is your translation may read so it's a common term for self.

It's a it's a word that speaks of the entirety of your life so I could paraphrase it to read this way, if you're saving your life just for yourself today in this life we say. If you keep your life all to yourself is what is going to happen you lose out on any kind of life worth living. Is it possible for a disciple of Jesus to waste his life.

Yes, he's not talking about missing out on life in heaven. He's talking about missing out on life on earth waste self absorbed, self-centered can a believer become selfish and do this will obviously Jesus wouldn't avoid this if it were possible. James would move warned us in James 316, wherever there there is selfishness there is disorder in other words, wherever you see a selfish person your life is messed up my paraphrase.

The apostle Paul would not of warned the believers living in Philippi do nothing from selfish ambition. Why is it possible we could do that numbers don't make life all about your life. Whoever loses his life for like the way one paraphrase it.

Whoever loses sight of himself as good.

Another one paraphrase it let loose of your life for my sake. If you do you'll find life worth living. Secondly is another reason because it will keep you from becoming engrossed by the self of earth since her verse 25 for what is a prophet a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself his life. In other words, follow me, and you won't waste your life pursuing things that are going to crumble away rust away, turned the dust.

John Phillips is wonderful commentary on this text said this, he said the most important question you could ever answer in the life is the question heaven or hell. And once you've answered that question then is a believer, the second most important question you need to answer and answered every day heaven or earth mightily for having one night only for earth is the idea here. You answer that everyday is 1/3 reason you need a liver consecrated life will keep you from forgetting was coming next Jesus as her verse 26 forever is ashamed of me and my words of him with the son of man be ashamed. Notice he doesn't say of him with the Son of Man be finished or of him will the Son of Man be rejected. No shame when he comes in his glory and the glory of the father and of the holy angels.

Is he gonna be ashamed of you. This is a reference to John's letter where he talks about forfeiting our full reward is a sense of shame that could have served him I could've responded for him and I didn't reward the could've been mine is not given. Look at verse 27 Jesus then says, but I tell you truly. There's some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. I believe this is a reference primarily to the signature event where Jesus is going to take Peter, James and John up that mountain where the Lord is going to be transfigured, that is, is going to reveal his post-ascension kingdom glory. This happens to be the very next event in Luke chapter 9 Matthew writes about it in chapter 17 and he says this and Jesus was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light Mark nice is it this way in his clothes became radiant intensely white as no one on earth could leech themselves like Mark tried to bleach something that didn't work, and behold, there appeared to them, Moses and Elijah talking with him. This is one of the most interesting, most exciting glimpses into the afterlife that were given in Scripture which is often spent all sermon on the floors. They were like bologna, at least take a look at it peers Moses and Elijah talking to you I'm talking to Jesus and finally Moses is still Moses and Elijah is the logic they change your names as to who they were and are talking about something is gonna happen in the future.

They talk about his exit will see this is crucifixion and then his resurrection, and then his ascension talking to Jesus about all in the work of God so much here, but you can imagine that Peter and James and John never forgot his early expression of the kingdom of God and the king and his glory, dazzling, splendid, and here's the point. Jesus wants us to remember that something is going to happen next. It infuses us, not with disillusionment or despair but great delight.

We can even imagine the glory that is reserved for us in the kingdom. So because of that day. We live this day how with an attitude of humility with his daily priority with a surrendered identity to him why because it reminds us of the coming glory. And that leads us in forward to take the next step as a consecrated disciple of Christ, consecration in action. Reminds me of the testimony of William Booth.

If you like. I have read his biography, the founder of the Salvation Army course in his early years was committed primarily to the gospel feeding and clothing and educating and helping the poor masses were simply the bridge over which they travel to deliver the gospel's biographers talk about his seal is devotion in spite of the fact that the society thought it was out of his mind to help the poor masses in England London. Even many Christians and leaders thought he was off base as nontraditional method of ministry still persevered one countless people, Christ is son Bramwell once asked of us holds what was his secret to his commitment told his son that he had knelt in that schoolroom at church one day he wrote and I quote I gave to God all there was of William years later, his daughter Eva said that wasn't the secret secret that he gave to God all there was William and then never took it back in this lesson is called consecration in action today. How will you deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Jesus think about that some more before this day ends. If you'd like to replay this message you can because it's posted to our website wisdom online.org while you're there, take advantage of Stephen's free resource called a quick and easy guide to understanding the Bible. It's free and you'll find it. Wisdom online.org/guide sure and join us next time.

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