Beyond Sunday
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the Podcast that takes you deeper into the Word of God throughout your week, with your Hosts Pastors' Lee and Jim.
It's Time to Inspire, Uplift, and dig deeper. Beyond Sunday starts now!
Beyond Sunday
Carrying the Cross
Ever thought about the true meaning of losing your life to find it? Join us as we promise to unpack the transformative teachings of Luke 9:23-26, where Jesus challenges us to deny ourselves and embrace a life of purpose and fulfillment. This episode delves into the countercultural call to prioritize Jesus above our own desires and plans, with the cross symbolizing a life of commitment, sacrifice, and the pursuit of true life found in Christ. By examining your faith, we invite you to consider how surrendering worldly attachments can lead to profound spiritual awakening.
We also explore the spiritual journey of sanctification and self-denial, inspired by Ephesians 4:22-24, emphasizing the importance of a God-centered life over worldly pursuits. Through a heartfelt story of a grandfather sharing the greatness of God with his grandson, we illustrate how our closeness to God influences our understanding of His magnificence. Our discussion highlights the necessity of aligning personal dreams and goals with God's will actively prioritizing God's presence in our everyday lives. Tune in for an inspiring journey into reshaping your life with divine purpose and intentionality.
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the podcast that takes you deeper into the Word of God throughout your week With your hosts, pastors Lee and Jim. It's time to inspire, uplift and dig deeper. Beyond Sunday starts now. Hey, what's going on everybody? Welcome back to the podcast. Today we're going to be diving into Luke, chapter 9, verses 23 through 26. It's a passage. It's going to be packed with deep truth. It's going to call us to action. It's going to challenge all of us. I'm Pastor Jim. I'm here with Pastor Lee. He's going to start right in by reading the text and we're going to get right into the Word of God.
Speaker 2:That's right guys, let's go ahead and jump right into it. Luke, chapter 9, verses 23 through 26. And this is what Jesus says 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. Man, this is one of those passages that just so confronts the way we live our lives.
Speaker 1:Jesus starts by saying if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself. And that's so huge right. Denying yourself. It's countercultural, it's not what we're used to, it's not what the people in the world expect. So when we live in a world that says follow your dreams, put yourself first, jesus is really flipping that script around and he's saying hey look, I'm going to call you out because you need to put me first, even above your own desires, above your own plans. What does that look like in our daily life? It's more than just saying no to sin. It's surrendering our priorities in the way that we've been accustomed to live in a world and submitting it all to God's will.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a lot happening here, pastor Jim, you know. Let's just kick it off with the 23rd verse. Jesus says if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. And there's a few words that I really want to want to jump into right there. If anyone, so that's great news. I don't care if you're at the top of the mountain, down in the valley or somewhere in between, or if you're at the bottom of the barrel, doesn't matter how great you feel today or how terrible you feel today. God sent his son, jesus Christ, for every one of us, amen. So if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and I know we're going to get into that piece of it today as well that we've got to deny self and take up His cross daily and follow me. So taking up the cross is an everyday thing. Denying self is an everyday thing. If we're going to deny self, we've got to die to our old way of living, our old desires, our sinful habits. You got any thoughts on that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you know. Moving back to the cross piece, right, because that thing about taking up your cross daily, that phrase, it hits me so hard because, if you think about what the cross was, especially back in the first century, it is the ultimate symbol of suffering. Right, that is how our Lord and Savior was executed. And Jesus isn't just saying that this journey is going to be easy when he says pick up your cross, because that's an extremely hard thing to do. Following him means that we have to be sacrificial and we're going to face challenges in our life.
Speaker 1:And notice when it says daily, right, that's so hard and so important because it's not just a one-time deal. You don't raise your hand in church when you hear the gospel message and you surrender your life to Jesus as Lord. Or even if it's not in church and you do it from an evangelist on a street, it's not one time. Okay, I picked up my cross. No, the Bible says you have to do it daily. It's an ongoing choice, just not a one-time decision. And I think about how often we need to reset our focus. Every single day, we have to remind ourselves to live for Christ, not just for ourselves, and I often talk about how it is important for us to be reminded of the gospel every single day, and that gospel message starts on the cross right, and if we're not reminded of the cross every single day, we can forget the gospel every single day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, galatians 2.20 says this 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. So, in other words, I've got to recognize daily, just like you were saying, brother, I've got to recognize daily that it's about God's plan before my plan.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And then it says for whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for his sake, for Jesus, will save it. You know, and that's the paradox of faith, whoever would save his own life, he's going to lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus would save it. It's this reminder that if we cling to the things of the world, whether it's wealth or comfort or the sense of control, right, pride can get us Ultimately all of the things that are in the world, they'll lead to loss, they lead to death. But when we get into the thing about letting things go and we live fully for Christ, that's when we find true life. That's when we say, man, there ain't nothing, anything, there's nothing I ever did. I'll say BC right before Christ, before I chose Christ as my Savior, there's nothing I did that's better than this life I'm living right now. It's not about self-preservation, it's about surrendering yourself to the One who's King.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean denying self and taking up that cross daily. If someone asked me to explain that to them in just a few words, I would say it's all about dying to self. John 12, 24 through 26 says truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, jesus says, if anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am there will be my servant. Also, if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Amen.
Speaker 2:So through death, through death and I would tell people to write this down on their notes through death comes life. Right, one grain alive is simply one grain alive. But according to Jesus Christ here in the text, a grain that has fallen to the ground and died, according to Jesus Christ here in the text, a grain that has fallen to the ground and died. Now, that grain that has died has the potential to produce fruit. You know, and that's the type of Christians that we want to be Right, I want to die to myself daily so that I can shoulder that cross daily. The more we die to self, the more we're going to look just like Jesus Christ, which really kind of again touches on the whole sanctification piece which we just talked about here recently.
Speaker 2:And something else I want to take a look at here Ephesians 4, 22 through 24. If you've got your Bibles, go ahead and turn there with us. Ephesians 4, 22 through 24 says to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Speaker 1:Man. And you know what's wild about that verse is? It really kind of brings us back to our main text in verse 25, when Jesus asks what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and he loses or forfeits himself? And to me that's like a really heavy question and it makes me think about my priorities, and I'm hoping that if you're listening to this podcast today, that you begin to think about where your priorities lie as well. Are we chasing the success, possessions or recognition from things inside this world at the expense of our relationship with God? Are we not sanctifying ourselves, separating ourselves from the world? And if by not doing that, are we jeopardizing being close with God? The world offers so many temporary pleasures, but it doesn't compare to the eternal value of knowing Christ. It's a perspective shift that we have to remember.
Speaker 1:I was actually listening to a story. I don't know if it was yesterday or a few days ago, it doesn't matter, but the point of the story was simply this A grandfather was hanging out with his grandson and he looked at his grandson, who had a question for him, and he said hey, you know how big is God, you know how big truly is God. And the grandfather looked at the grandson and he pointed to the skies, where there was a plane, and he said do you see that plane up in the sky? And the grandson said yeah, I see the plane. He said well, how big is that plane? He said I can't barely see it, grandpa, it's a very small plane. So then the grandfather said yes, it does appear that way.
Speaker 1:And then the grandfather picked up his grandson and drove him to the airport and then, as they were sitting there at the airport, right in front of a plane that was on the ground, he said well, how big is that airplane now? And the grandson said it's huge, it's so big. And the grandfather looked at the grandson and he said and that is why how big God is in your life is about your perspective how close are you to him? See, when we're far away from God, he may seem small, but when we have a relationship and we've sacrificed the whole world to be close to Him, oh my goodness.
Speaker 2:He's so big, yeah, that's so good man, and I really like that. As we shoulder the cross daily and we walk daily with God, we begin to grow in this relationship and just realize that God is far greater than what we ever thought God could be. And that's the beauty of our testimony, right? We begin to experience God on new levels, in different ways, different heights and depths, and it just becomes so beautiful. The closer we get to Him, the more we experience and the more we discover about God in our walk with Him.
Speaker 1:I just want to be close with Him, you know, and if that means I got to shut off everything in the world to do that, that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so good, man Luke. Remember, back in Luke 9, 23, jesus said we're to take up our cross and follow him. And I want to let the listeners know what's going on. In Luke 14, 27, we see Jesus speaking. And in Luke 14, 27, jesus says whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. And I think that that language is so powerful be my disciple. And I think that that language is so powerful that there's no fine print there, there's no small type lost in a contract, right that? Oh, we didn't know that. It meant that you know like Jesus is very upfront here. He always is, and I love this. There's no way we can get this misconstrued or no way we can be confused on any of this language. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, jesus says, cannot be my disciple. And then he goes on in Luke 14, 33, he goes on to say this Jesus says so. Therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. So yet here we go again.
Speaker 2:Pastor Jim, it's all about denying self.
Speaker 2:If we are going to shoulder the cross, if we're truly going to shoulder the cross, I've got to deny myself, I've got to deny my plan and my way, and let me just throw this out there so there's no confusion.
Speaker 2:There's nothing at all wrong with having plans and dreams and visions and praying for certain goals to achieve in our lives. Nothing at all wrong with that. But I've got to understand that my plan or my goal or my dream may not be what the Father wants me to achieve, or it may not be the line or the path that he wants me to walk. So that's why, when I shoulder my cross, I have to be able to deny myself and I've got to be able to turn everything. I got to be able to turn everything in and I got to be able to renounce everything that I've got, all in the name of my Lord, so that I can truly walk where Christ is walking, because at the end of the day, I want to be where he's at. If God's hand's not on it or his blessing and anointing's not with it, brother, I don't want it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and don't get us wrong. We're not saying sell everything you have and go live like a monk, right, like the Levites had to do. We're not saying that there's nothing good in the world that we can have or be a part of. All we're saying is what Jesus has said, and he says it in our main text, you know, for whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him, will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Jesus is talking about being ashamed of him and his words.
Speaker 1:He's calling us, even though we live in the world, to stand firm in our faith and just put him out front, put him first and put Christ at the center and the source of everything that we do. Even when it's unpopular, even when it costs us things in this world, it's OK to lose the things of the world so that we can gain the things of the Father, and that's really really, really tough sometimes, especially in a world that opposes our biblical values. Right? I mean, I don't think that I've ever lived in a time and I'm 39 years old I don't think I've lived in a time right now where biblical principles and values have been under attack in a way that we live in a culture that legalizes sin at the rate that it's been legalizing sin, but the promise. And this is why Jesus and this is why my relationship with Christ matters so much and His faithfulness to me matters so much, because His promise to us is super powerful. When we're faithful to Him, god will always be faithful to us when he comes in glory.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know. You mentioned what Jesus is talking there in Luke 9, about us not being ashamed, you know. It just reminds me. I say this a lot whenever we're going to stand up for Christ, we are always going to stand out. That's right, and it's something that we have got to be prepared for, and that's all you know. Just yet another reason why we need to be all about putting on the full armor of God and understanding that when we stand out in this type of world, there will be eventually, at some point or another, an attack from the evil one.
Speaker 2:Galatians, chapter 5, 24 through 25, says this again Galatians 5, 24 and 25, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, that being the spirit of God, if we live by the spirit, let us also keep in step with the spirit, and so this is so, so important, right that you know we can read our Bibles, we can worship, we can pray, we can praise. Those are all things that we need to do, okay, but here's something that I want to point out here Along with those things, we should be walking with friends who also walk with Christ. I don't want to just walk and be the only guy out there that's in my circle shouldering the cross right, and this is why your circle does matter, your friends do matter. I want to walk with people, pastor Jim, that have that cross that I'm shouldering as well.
Speaker 1:You know, the language in the Bible talks simply about action it's action words, and we're called to action so much and about living a life that's reflecting His love and His truth. This passage, I believe, challenges us to evaluate our hearts and where they are. And anytime we read our scripture, anytime we open the Bible, you know, our prayer should be Lord, show us and reveal who you are in this text and who we are, and how we need to change and what we need to get to in order to be in line with you. And so, are we living for ourselves or are we living for Christ? Are we willing to make daily sacrifices to follow Him? And they're not easy questions, but they are important.
Speaker 1:Following Jesus is not just about believing. It's also about having this call to action right, staying in step with Him, living for Him, shouldering a cross. Those are actions. They're not just something that you believe in. You have to actually do them, and it's about living a life right that ultimately reflects His love and truth. But you do those things by doing what the Bible tells us to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and let me just say this I think oftentimes when people hear the term shouldering the cross, they're thinking about the crucifixion and they see the ugliness of it, they see the pain of it, right, they see what's taking place, you know. But can I just maybe throw this little thought out there? You know, to me shouldering the cross is not always for the hard times, the difficult times that the battles, the storms, the wars. Like man, when you get a group of people together who are shouldering the cross together, it's fun. You know, it's not always a time of the rough spots, the rough moments in your life, man, and even those rough times, even those storms, when you go through life shouldering a cross with other brothers and sisters in Christ who also shoulder their cross, man, it's so much to learn, it's so much to learn from those storms and those tough times, you know.
Speaker 2:So I just want to encourage our listeners as we're speaking heavily on shouldering the cross and denying self. You know it's not a negative message, it's not a like woe is me. It's not a doom and gloom. This is all to make us live not for victory, but from a stance where we are living and fighting from a position of victory, like we are the victors. You know what I mean. We are the head, we are not the tail, you know, and we fight from the position of victory. So shouldering the cross is all about becoming more like Jesus and living for the Lord and brother. I'm going to tell you, it's the best thing that we could ever do.
Speaker 1:Man, it is such a great point, count it all joy. The Bible says that you know to find joy in all things that we're doing. So when we see our friends or a group of friends who aren't living the way that we're living and they're off going to do what they're doing, we shouldn't say no, I can't go shoulder the cross as a burden and walking away from them. It should be a joy that we're no longer conformed to the world and we're taking a stance for Christ.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, man. Paul says in Romans 8, 18,. Paul says For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. You know what I mean. And man, hallelujah, brother, Praise God, almighty, that just stokes my fire. That lets me know that, no matter what I go through today, when I deny self and I have to shoulder my cross, man, it's all going to be worth it, because there's more glory that's going to be revealed to us on the return of the Lord.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. We do not store our treasures here on earth, but we wait and store them in heaven. Well, that's our take on Luke, chapter 9, 23 through 26. There's so much to unpack in just these few verses, but I am looking forward to having an opportunity to live out today what Scripture taught us. And, shouldering the cross, would you join us in prayer as we ask the Holy Spirit to remind us of these truths as we go throughout our week?
Speaker 2:Amen, father, we just thank you so much for this opportunity to get into your Word with our listeners. I pray that your Holy Spirit would just continue to teach us everything that we need to know about life and faith and walking in step with your Spirit. Lord, teach us what it is to deny ourself today. Show us and reveal to us what it is to shoulder the cross in every moment, that when we stand up we will stand out. And it is never to bring attention or glory to us, father, but it is always to glorify the Son, jesus Christ. In the name and the blood of Jesus. We ask all these things and everybody, friends, said together Amen, Amen.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next time on Beyond Sunday.
