"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE KEY TO A FULFILLED LIFE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE KEY TO A FULFILLED LIFE"

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Luke 9:24 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Luke 9:25 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

1. Jesus is not explaining how a person gets saved, but rather is giving us the requirements for what is called "Discipleship" or being a learner, which is by the way exactly what He desires you to become. He wants You to learn all that He has taught, so that You can grow in your walk with the Lord.  Here are the requirements, and then we will look at the benefits or the consequences of becoming a disciple. "

2. Here are the requirements, and then we will look at the benefits or the consequences of becoming a disciple. "

(1) A person has to have the "want to", or as Jesus says, the "desire" He says, “If anyone desires to come or follow after Me" Luke 6:23b. So, if you have the desire to do this, then Jesus is going to explain how to do it, and what will happen in your life.

(3) A christian must  "l him deny himself " Luke 9:23c Let him deny himself, means, letting your desires and goals in life, take a back seat to what the Lord wants for your life. Let His will be supreme and first in your life.

(4) The second  requirement is "pick your cross daily"  This means death to your desires and to your will day by day. Simple as that.

The cross to a person listening to Jesus was not mistaken about what Jesus was saying. Today we often hear people mistakenly say, "That is my cross to bear" when referencing some difficulty or persistent problem in their life. But, Jesus was not talking about the difficulties in a person's life. He was saying, let your desire be put to death. Day by day, a Christian is to make the decision to say "death to what I want to do, and I give myself to the Lord, to do His will.

(5) The third requirement is "follow Me" This means just what it says. Follow Him. Some have said, it can best be understood, when you think of getting on the same road as Jesus day by day, and traveling along that road. In other words, Just abide with the Lord, stick with Jesus. It means to accompany Jesus. Be with Him.

3. Here's how Luke 9:23 reads in the NLT  Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.

4. Now on to the reasoning the Lord gives, which also explains the blessings of being a disciple.

(1) Luke 9:24 If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. In other words, if you as a Christian, seek to save your life, you don't want to deny yourself and you don't want to pick up your cross, you will lose your life. Or you will not find a happy and a fulfilled life. Why you say?
Because being self willed, instead of God's will for my life, will never lead you to a fulfilled life.

It's only when we live our lives in alignment with what God really wants for us, are we at our happiest. God wants You to be a disciple. But, if you choose not to be, then You are left with yourself, and not with learning about Him, His grace, His mercy, His peace, and His plan for your life.
Which do you think is better, God's plan of Your plan for Your life?

(2) Luke 9:24 And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process? Jesus asks a question here. How do you benefit, or what profit is it to you, if you by chance by doing what you want to do, instead of what Christ wants for you,

You happen to gain the whole world, but lose your own soul, what good would it do You? Or do you think that true happiness is found in the acquisition of "things" Do things make one happy? We all know the answer to that. Things may be a blessing to have, up to a certain point, but things can't make you happy. Maybe things can make your life more convenient but not more happy.

A prayer:

Father, it's a blessing beyond description that You would first of all save us. And, then to know that You want to bless our lives as saved people and the key to that is now following Your son, is such an expression of Your grace. You call us to Christ for salvation, and then You call us to follow Jesus to find the best life we can have on this earth.

We probably all know genuine Christians, who are not happy people, and we know just the opposite as well. Christians who have are are becoming, and on a daily basis are really disciples, learners, followers of Jesus and not of their own wills and desires. Lord, that is what we want for ourselves, and those in our church body, and those we know in our life who know You.  In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.