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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16. I'll begin 
reading in verse 13, and we'll read to the end of the chapter. 
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked 
his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, 
am? So they said, Some say John the 
Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 
He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered 
and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus 
answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for 
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who 
is in heaven. And I also say to you that you 
are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates 
of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys 
of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will 
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed 
in heaven. Then he commanded his disciples 
that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ. 
From that time, Jesus began to show to his disciples that he 
must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and 
chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised the third 
day. Then Peter took him aside and 
began to rebuke him saying, far be it from you, Lord, this shall 
not happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter, 
Get behind me, Satan. You are an offense to me, for 
you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. 
Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone desires to come after 
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow 
me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever 
loses his life for my sake will find it. For what profit is it 
to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? For what will a man give in exchange 
for his soul? For the Son of Man will come 
in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will 
reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, 
there are some standing here who shall not taste death till 
they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Amen." Well, 
let us pray. Our blessed God and our Holy 
Father, we thank you for the written word. We thank you that 
you've not left us to ourselves in this world, but you've given 
us the Word of God, you've given us the Spirit of God, and even 
now we acknowledge our utter dependence upon the Holy Spirit. 
We pray that He would guide us and lead us as we study this 
section of Scripture. God, it certainly is a pointed 
and very powerful passage designed to cause us to examine our own 
hearts before a holy God. We thank you for our Lord Jesus. 
We thank you for justification by faith alone in Him. We thank 
you for your grace and your mercy and your kindness and your love. 
Even now, Lord God, we pray that you would forgive us for all 
of our sins and our transgressions against your law, for our lack 
of conformity unto that holy law, for our lack of conduct 
that is worthy of the gospel itself. Please wash us and please 
purify us and please God help us to receive with thanksgiving 
the Word of God. And we pray these things through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well specifically this 
morning we're going to take up verses 24 to 28 though I suspect 
we will not get all the way to verse 28. So I just want to give 
you the outline of this particular section just so you can sort 
of see the structure that is going on in the passage. The 
first thing we're going to observe is the connection with the context. We do not lift passages out of 
their context. In fact, it is the context which 
truly does give an impetus to this particular section where 
Jesus describes discipleship. Secondly, we'll take up the description 
of discipleship in verse 24. Verses 25 to 27 is then an explanation 
of discipleship. He highlights two implications 
and then gives an incentive, specifically the second coming 
of our Lord in His glory to judge the living and the dead. And 
then the fourth major point in this particular section is specific 
encouragement for the Apostles in verse 28. So let us first 
take up this connection. How does verses 24 or how do 
verses 24 specifically to 27 relate to what precedes? Remember 
they're in Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asks the question, who 
do men say that I the Son of Man am? And then he asks specifically 
the disciples, and Peter makes that lofty confession of faith, 
you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. So they had correctly 
identified the person of our Lord Jesus. They had correctly 
seen that he was the Son of God, that he was the Messiah promised, 
that he was the anointed, that he was the fulfillment of all 
the Old Testament scriptures. They didn't come to this knowledge 
in their own strength, rather Jesus says, blessed are you, 
Simon Barjona, flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but 
rather my Father who is in heaven gave you this. And then tracing 
down, Jesus then indicates that he must go to Jerusalem. Now 
Christ is teaching them something concerning his work. not only 
is He the Messiah, not only is He the Son of the Living God, 
but the way that He will accomplish victory, the way that He will 
fulfill all that was written of Him, is not through worldly 
power, it's not through worldly success, it's not through wearing 
a worldly crown, but rather it is through suffering. and death. 
Notice in verse 21, from that time Jesus began to show to His 
disciples that He must go to Jerusalem. There is divine necessity 
here. There is no turning away from 
this particular path. The Lord Christ entered into 
an agreement with His Father and He will fulfill all that 
was given to Him in order to save His people from their sins. 
And then he highlights the pathway. He must go to Jerusalem. He must 
suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes. 
He must be killed and he must be raised the third day. Of course, 
Peter doesn't like this. Peter has an earthly conception 
of Messiah. Peter thinks that Messiah ought 
to wear a crown and never see a cross. Well, Christ teaches 
just the opposite. The cross always precedes the 
crown. And having stated that, as far 
as his own life and his own ministry, now he turns to the disciples 
in verses 24 to 27. The disciple is going to go through 
the same sorts of things. If you suffer in this world, 
if you sorrow in this world, if you have trials and difficulties 
in this world, you're not a freak. If you have these things, it 
is part and parcel of being a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. There 
is self-denial involved in Christianity. Those who deny themselves often 
are losers, at least in terms of earthly situations. It is 
the man who fights for his rights, it is the man who demands on 
being first, it is the man who is insistent upon his way or 
the highway that at least temporally seems to benefit. The followers 
of Jesus Christ, however, have difficulty. The followers of 
Jesus Christ daily take up a cross and pursue Him. The followers 
of Jesus Christ, as we'll see again tonight in our study in 
2 Timothy 1, suffer. There's difficulty. There's hardship. The presence of difficulty in 
your Christian life never argues for the absence of God. In fact, 
it most often argues for just the opposite. The presence of 
hardship in this present life means that God is working in 
and through those particulars. This is the emphasis in Hebrews 
12. We are not to despise the chastening 
hand of our God. Discipleship isn't about singing 
our way to heaven without any problems or trials or difficulties. It is about singing our way to 
heaven, but there's trials and problems and difficulties along 
the way. and discipleship does not mean 
the absence of hardship. So what Jesus teaches here, he 
teaches to his disciples to describe for them and to help prepare 
them for the coming conflict. You see, the apostles are gonna 
be right alongside of Jesus when he confronts the religious leaders, 
when Jesus is delivered up, when Jesus suffers, when Jesus dies. 
But then when Jesus is raised on the third day and ascends 
on high, what happens to the apostles when we turn to the 
book of Acts? It is the cross that precedes 
the crown. the disciples would know all 
too well what persecution really was, what it meant to daily take 
up that cross and follow after Jesus. Calvin indicates the transition 
this way. As Christ saw that Peter had 
a dread of the cross and that all the rest were affected in 
the same way, he enters into a general discourse about bearing 
the cross. You see, this is what the preceding 
teaches us. Peter didn't like this concept. 
Peter didn't want Jesus to die. Peter didn't want Jesus to suffer. 
So what Jesus now asserts is that these things will be yours 
too. He's preparing the disciples 
for what will follow. Kelvin says he enters into a 
general discourse about bearing the cross and does not limit 
his address to the 12 apostles, but lays down the same law for 
all the godly. Frantz says the death of the 
Messiah is likely to have serious implications for those who are 
identified as his followers. You can just hear it now in Peter's 
mind. You can hear the cog spinning. Well if this is true of Christ, 
What's it going to be for his followers? Now not all of them 
would be crucified, though interestingly enough history tells us Peter 
himself was. Now notice, secondly, the description 
of discipleship, verse 24. You know as you read your Bible 
in your Christian life, and as you attend church in your Christian 
life, there are those texts which truly do level us, don't they? 
There are those texts that really cause us to reflect. Texts which ought to call us 
to examine ourselves. Texts which ought to force us 
to look at the reality. You know, we say that we believe 
the gospel. We say that we are Christians. We profess Christianity not only 
as the true religion among religions, but we profess participation 
in the true religion. Notice what Jesus says in verse 
24. He says to His disciples, Discipleship, first and foremost, 
is initiated by the grace of God. The idea here is not do 
this in order to be saved. The idea in verses 24 and 26 
specifically is because you've been saved, this is then how 
you ought to live. In other words, if you're an 
unbeliever here this morning, I am not going to tell you, just 
go out and try harder. Just go out and carry your cross. 
Just go out and deal with the difficulties that life gives 
you, and at the end, if you do it well, then God will reward 
you with salvation. If you're an unbeliever here 
this morning, you need to believe. You need to look and live. You 
need to look at the Lord Jesus Christ who alone can save to 
the uttermost by His power, by His strength, as a result of 
His blood shedding and His resurrection from the dead. Jesus is addressing 
disciples. Jesus is speaking to those who 
are followers. This is indicated in the very 
first thing that he says. Note the necessity that he gives. Verse 24, Jesus said to his disciples, 
if anyone desires to come after me. Does the unbeliever desire 
Jesus? No, he does not. He said, well, 
how do you know that? My Aunt Betty, at least at one 
point in her life, desired Jesus, but then after a few things went 
sour in her life, she no longer wanted Him. The Bible trumps 
Aunt Betty. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 3, 
tells us, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who 
seeks after God. Jesus says to the leaders in 
his day, in John 5, verse 48, you are not willing to come to 
me that you might have everlasting life. Jesus says again decisively 
in John 6, verse 44, no one can come to the Father except the 
one whom no one can come to me, but the one to whom the Father 
draws." It is sovereign grace. The desire here is not native. It's not natural to a man. The 
desire here is given by God Most High, as indicated in the book 
of Psalms, Psalm 110.3. What does it tell us? God makes 
men willing in the day of His power. So the language here ought 
to be interpreted accordingly with reference to the desire 
that is found in the disciples. Unbelievers don't desire Him. 
Now we preach that they should, we preach that they ought to, 
we preach that they should believe and go and confess Him as Lord 
and Savior. But this is a demand of discipleship, 
those who have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone 
in Jesus Christ alone. Because I butchered John 6.44, 
my conscience is not going to allow me to proceed, so I need 
to read it properly before we move on. 6.44, sometimes things 
jump out of your head. I happen to notice that happens 
more often the older you get. I'm sure things jumped out of 
my head 10 years ago, but they seem to be jumping out of my 
head a lot quicker, more rapidly, and a lot stronger than they 
used to. John 6.44, No one can come to 
me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise 
him up at the last day. So the necessity specified by 
Christ in Matthew 16.24, He says to His disciples, if anyone desires 
to come after me, let him deny himself, and let him take up 
his cross and follow me." Brethren, this is an imperative. This isn't 
a suggestion. This isn't a recommendation. 
This isn't for the five or the ten in the church who like to 
read theology books. This is for everyone who professes 
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you, this morning, have confessed 
that Christ is Lord, then this demand is upon you. This demand 
is your demand. This demand is my demand. If 
you've identified publicly with Christ in the waters of baptism, 
if you have stood before this local church and own Jesus as 
Lord and Savior, verse 24 describes discipleship to us. The first 
thing we must observe, let him deny himself. Self-denial comes 
first for the Christian. Self-denial. The verb is used 
later in Matthew's Gospel, specifically in chapter 26 verses 34 and 35, 
and then again in verse 75, where Peter denied or completely renounced 
Christ. What's the implication here in 
verse 24? We need to completely renounce 
ourselves. We need to stop worshipping self. We need to stop gratifying self. We need to stop putting self 
first. Just as we were singing one of 
the hymns there, I remembered a cheesy button when I was a 
young papist that our school gave to us. And just because 
something is cheesy doesn't mean that it's necessarily wrong, 
but it was a button that said, joy. But joy was written vertically. And then it said, Jesus, others, 
you. Again, that's as cheesy as the 
day is long, but it's biblically accurate, isn't it? Isn't it? When you look at your home, when 
you look at your relationships, when you look at your fellowship 
with other believers, what is that particular sin that seems 
to hinder it just about every time? Yeah, it's their selfishness. Just for a moment, stop looking 
at their selfishness and perhaps look at your own. You see, Jesus 
says, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself. Self-denial. Not self-gratification. Not self-preservation. Not self-first. I was thinking as well, recently 
my wife and I have been playing the game Scrabble. Though I must 
confess I'm close to the end of my career because I simply 
cannot win. And something that I have learned in Scrabble is 
that it's not just about the words, but it's about the strategy 
that's involved in the placement of those words. And one of the 
things that I have to protect myself against is what's called 
a tell. A tell. If I happen to have an 
X and an I, I know I'm on my way to big points. You Scrabble 
players know that C and Za are probably the only, you know, 
only Scrabble players know that those are actually words. But 
I have to guard myself because I know she's a strategist and 
if I blow my hand, she's going to come in and kill me. I'm not 
so sophisticated that I wear those big black sunglasses at 
this particular point, but that would be helpful. So I do get 
excited. I'm going to go in for the kill, 
only to have her do that to me, and then I get really frustrated. 
And then my tell is that I'm a childish little baby that doesn't 
like to lose. Here's your tell with reference 
to Christian discipleship. If you're a selfish person, Here is the thing that betrays 
your confession of faith in Jesus. Here is what men can look at 
and say, this person claims to be about Christ, but he treats 
his wife this way. This person claims to be Christ 
and treats her husband this way. This person claims to be Christ 
and treats their parents or their children this way? Brethren, 
if your life is only about the unholy Trinity, me, myself, and 
I, you need to repent. Because if anyone desires to 
come after me, let him deny himself, is what Jesus says. Not let him 
put himself first always, Not let him put himself first in 
every circumstance, but let him deny himself. Isn't this Christ's 
pattern? Isn't this Christ's way? He leaves 
the bliss and the glory of heaven. It's Christ, I believe, on the 
throne. In Isaiah chapter 6, he's being praised by the angelic 
hosts. They cry out day and night, Holy, 
holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his 
glory. And he comes into this world to do what? To put the 
glory of his father first and foremost and then to put sinners 
like us before his own comfort and his own benefit in this lower 
world. You see, it is to betray our 
profession of Jesus Christ when our lives are about ourselves. 
In fact, this is one of the designs of the Christian gospel is to 
wean us from that idol of self. You can turn to 2 Corinthians 
chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Verse 12, "'For we do not commend 
ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our 
behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in 
appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, 
it is for God, or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For 
the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus, that if 
one died for all, then all died." Now there's certainly a selfless 
example in the Apostle in these words, but that's not the point. 
Notice what he says in verse 15 after having mentioned that 
if one, Christ, died for all those who are in Christ, then 
all died. And he died for all that. Note the purpose clause here. 
Why did Christ die for you? Yes, the glory of God. Yes, the 
forgiveness of sins. Yes, the imputation of His righteousness. Yes, all of those things. But 
look at what Paul indicates in 2 Corinthians 5.15, that those 
who live should live no longer for themselves. Sounds like Jesus, 
doesn't it? If anyone desires to come after 
me, let him deny himself. You profess the saving faith 
in Jesus and you're so selfish? You profess saving faith in Jesus 
and everything is about you? You profess to be Christ's in 
everything, from the moment you wake up to the moment you lay 
your head down at night and including all of your dreams, are you centered? Jesus says that's wrong. Again, 
the cheesy acronym, Jesus, others, you. You're last in the food 
chain. You're last in this situation. 
The one who confesses faith in Christ happily embraces that, 
the way the Master did. How many of us, if we would transpose 
ourselves back to John 13, would do what Jesus did when he takes 
off his outer garment, he girds himself about the waist, he gets 
a pan of water, and then he stoops to the feet of Peter and washes 
them. That's what Christ does. that 
those who live should live no longer for themselves but for 
Him who died for them and rose again." You see that this is 
a mark or an indicator of the non-disciple or that this is 
a mark or indicator of the unbeliever or the one who has no faith in 
Jesus. Turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 3. 2nd Timothy chapter 3. Notice in verse 1, but know this, 
that in the last days, and again this isn't future to us, this 
isn't something that's waiting in the horizon for the 21st century 
church. The last days were inaugurated 
in the first coming of the Lord Jesus. And they describe that 
period between the first and the second advent. Because Paul 
tells Timothy that he is to avoid these types of people. Timothy 
wouldn't have to avoid these types of people if these types 
of people were in our future. You see, they were upon Timothy 
at that time. But notice in 2 Timothy 3.1, 
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come, 
for men will be lovers of themselves. Now, I realize that we're all 
selfish. I realize that we all struggle. I realize that Galatians 5.17 
is a reality. The flesh lusts against the Spirit. 
The Spirit lusts against the flesh. These two are contrary 
to one another so that you do not do the things that you want. 
I get that. I understand there's remaining 
corruption. I understand with vivid consciousness 
the desire to take the biggest cookie, to take the best this, 
or to not defer to others. But there is a difference between 
a struggle against our selfishness and allowing it to reign and 
to rule and to govern. You see, according to Jesus, 
if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself. The idea is that Christ comes 
first. This will be explained as we 
proceed in the context, but it's obvious, isn't it? A disciple 
followed the master in the first century context. If you liked 
Socrates, you followed Socrates. If you liked Plato, you followed 
Plato. If you liked Aristotle, you followed Aristotle. The Stoics 
or the Epicureans, it was common for the disciple to follow the 
master. You put him first. Does that 
describe the discipleship in this room? Again, these are passages 
that do that. These are passages that we have 
to come to grips with. These are passages that we have 
to wrestle with. Does Jesus, in this description 
of discipleship, have something in concert with our own hearts? 
Now, don't say, yeah, I'm so selfless, all I ever do is follow 
Jesus, I only ever put others first. That's probably not true. I'm sorry to rain on your holy 
parade, but that's probably not true. I'm not saying it's not, 
it's probably not. Let me qualify that. This self-denial is seen in all 
that we crave, or renouncing rather, our self and all that 
we crave. We need to kill self in this 
whole thing, and I don't mean physically. Do not say, Butler 
advocated suicide today. It was a new stretch. I've never 
heard of that. That's not what I'm advocating. 
But as Christ's exalted self must die, Those who live for 
themselves should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who 
lived and died on their behalf. Still, I think this goes another 
way as well, because it's easy for us in our own minds or in 
our own hearts to say, yeah, I know when I'm putting myself 
first, when I crave the biggest donut, or I'm obnoxious at the 
Scrabble table, or when I'm unkind to the brethren in church. But 
you know, if we take this passage and we think in terms of the 
larger situation, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny 
himself with reference to his acceptance with God. What is it that you're resting 
on this morning? What is it that you think is 
going to grant you acceptance and favor with God? You say, 
well, there's nobody who actually thinks that it's what they do 
that will commend them to God. If you think that, you haven't 
talked to many people. Luke chapter 18, verse 9, also 
Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that 
they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up to the 
temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank 
you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, 
or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes 
of all that I possess. That doesn't sound like self-denial. That sounds like self-dependence. 
That does not sound like self-renouncement. That sounds like self-aggrandizement 
or exaltation. And the world is filled with 
these kinds of people today. What's the biggest offense about 
the cross? At least one of the big offenses 
today. Well, that's not fair. God shouldn't just forgive somebody 
for all their wickedness and all their sin and all their evil 
because of what Jesus did. That's not fair. What about these 
good people that do all these wonderful things? Those good 
people that do all those wonderful things do not render perfect, 
exact, entire, and personal obedience to God 24-7. And that is precisely 
what God demands, and the only one who's satisfied, that is 
Christ. So the only one accepted is in Christ. What are you relying 
upon this morning? I think passages like these are 
easy to see when it comes to donuts, or when it comes to drinking. or when it comes to the way I 
interact with others. I ought to deny myself for the 
better good of those people. But somehow we miss the reality 
that we ought to deny ourselves in terms of a reliance upon anything 
done by our hands to garner favor with God. Anyone desires to come 
after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow 
me. Notice, verse 24 tells us, "...if 
anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself." That's 
a general statement, isn't it? I filled in the blanks a little 
bit with donuts and with games and with you know, personal works 
and all that sort of thing. But Jesus doesn't leave us to 
fill in the blanks. Jesus describes in vivid detail, 
very explicitly, what self-denial looks like. Notice what he says. Let him deny himself and take 
up his cross and follow me. The taking up of the cross. Now I'm going to ask you to forget 
donuts, and I'm going to ask you to forget games, I'm going 
to ask you to forget concerning those things with reference to 
denial, because Jesus is not talking about that. Those are a good indicator, those 
might be a tell, those might be something that evidence, but 
Jesus' stakes are much higher than donuts. Look at what he 
says. If anyone desires to come after 
me let him deny himself and take up his cross. The Lord in verse 
21 refers to his suffering and his death. He there doesn't mention 
the cross. That'll be conspicuously mentioned 
in chapter 20, specifically at verse 19. It will be mentioned 
again specifically in chapter 26 and verse 2. Now I should 
tell you that a parallel passage to Matthew 16, the passage we're 
studying, is in Matthew chapter 10, verses 38 and 39. And there 
the Lord Christ says the same thing, that the disciple is to 
take up the cross. Now for that disciple in that 
current situation, for Peter, for James, for John, for all 
the apostles named in Matthew chapter 10, they knew what the 
cross was. They understood all too well. 
They lived in the Roman Empire. This was the means by which the 
Romans would discard or would deal with those vile offenders 
of Roman law. When Jesus says, take up the 
cross, he's not just telling them, tomorrow at breakfast, 
make sure I get the biggest donut. That's not it. Again, I think 
those are legitimate in our context. We need to look at those. They 
show whether we're selfish or not. But the demand of discipleship 
is to die for Jesus Christ. A willingness to die for Jesus 
Christ. The Lord's reference here indicates 
crucifixion. The Lord declares that His disciples 
must be willing to die. Now, we take passages like these 
and we pull them out of the context and we say, well, this means 
I need to daily bear with the cross of a nagging wife. I need 
to daily bear with the cross of a deadbeat husband. I need 
to daily bear the cross of a recalcitrant child. That's not the cross that's 
in view. We all have our burdens, we all 
have our trials, we all have our sorrows, we all have our 
difficulties. This much the Bible is true, this much we can say 
in light of the Bible, but here the demand of discipleship is 
to take up the cross. And what was crucifixion in that 
context? It was public. It was cruel. It was painful and it was degrading. You see, it puts an interesting 
twist on our context. Sometimes we're afraid to bow 
our heads in public because we don't want people to think we're 
weird. Jesus says you need to pick up the cross, march to the 
hill of execution, be pounded onto it, be exalted before all 
men, be stripped of your dignity, be stripped of everything, receive 
the chastening blow from man, and ultimately die. That's what 
discipleship is. If anyone desires to come after 
me, let him deny himself. Self-denial is first seen in 
cross-bearing, being willing to go to the cross for our Lord 
Jesus. France, on 1038, says to follow 
Jesus is to embrace martyrdom. I wonder if the persecuted church 
prays for us. Oh God, help them. Oh God, grant 
them grace. God, give them perseverance to 
do something for Jesus with all that liberty. Give them a courage 
and a boldness to proclaim the excellencies of the Savior that 
we're willing to die for. We wonder if there are a prayer 
meeting in one of those Middle Eastern countries where the brethren 
are praying for the people in the West. God help them to use 
the liberties that they have for the glory of God Most High. To follow Jesus is to embrace 
martyrdom. That is the prospect Jesus holds 
out before any worthy disciple, a savage death and public disgrace. Calvin makes this observation. 
Luke adds in the parallel passage in Luke 9, the word daily. Let him take up his cross daily. You see, you can't say on Monday, 
wow, what a day of cross-bearing. I came close to the point of 
death. Tuesday is going to be a better day. I can put the cross 
in the closet and I can just go on as any other man in this 
world. No, it's daily. A daily willingness 
to undergo execution for the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a 
tough passage in our context because we don't see this. Perhaps it would be an easier 
text to preach in Iran. Perhaps it would be an easier 
text to preach in the early church. Calvin says, Luke adds the word 
daily. Let him take up his cross daily, 
which is very emphatic. For Christ's meaning is that 
there will be no end to our warfare till we leave the world. No end 
to our warfare till we leave the world. I'm always amazed at the Christian 
response to any opposition in society. On the one hand, we 
ought to respond in prayer to our God. We ought to respond 
as we have freedom and liberty to do. You're free to sign petitions. 
You're free to send letters to your MP. You're free and you 
have liberty to do those things. I guess it's the shock at which 
some Christians cannot believe that Hollywood would make a movie 
and botch up the story of Noah. Are you kidding me? That surprises 
you? That really surprises you in 
a world of men that stand in opposition to God? They're going 
to depict Noah as a preacher of righteousness and the wrath 
of God upon an earth that is exceedingly corrupt and filled 
with violence? How does that surprise you? Many of us are struggling with 
the gay or homosexual agenda and it does seem to be being 
pressed very militantly. But surprised? I can't believe 
this. It's been happening gradually 
for generations. Again, I'm not suggesting don't 
use the means that are available. I'm not suggesting don't sigh 
and cry over the abominations in the land to God in heaven. 
But I am suggesting, brethren, that sometimes this shock and 
the surprise. We dwell among men that are in 
opposition to God Most High. Do you think that we're going 
to walk unmolested to heaven? Do you think that everything's 
going to be rosy and peachy and good? Do you think everybody's 
going to say, well you're a Christian, I'm just going to let you do 
whatever you want? No, there's opposition. 2nd Timothy 
3.12, in this world you will have tribulation. Very intriguing 
about this particular Sabbath day or this Lord's Day. Here's 
our passage this morning. You know what it is tonight? 
2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 8. We're going to focus there. Timothy, 
do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, his prisoner. Timothy, join with me in suffering 
for the gospel's sake. You see, that is part and parcel 
of Christian discipleship. This isn't the, wow, this guy 
actually got a bad look from somebody that's a pagan. No, 
this ought to be common occurrence. The way that we live and conduct 
ourselves in light of a crucified and risen Savior ought to be 
such that it bothers or it irritates or it frustrates people that 
love their sin. If anyone desires, let him deny 
himself. What does self-denial look like? 
It means, or it looks like, daily taking up the cross. And then 
notice, he says, and follow me. He's not just dying. It's not 
just death. It's not just, you know, exiting 
this life or suffering public execution as some sort of a noble 
example. It's for Jesus. I'm a Muslim 
and I strap C4 onto my body and I go into some place and I push 
the buttons. There's no nobility there if 
I'm doing it for Allah because Allah is not a god. The dignity 
comes in that Christ is the target. Christ is the one that we pursue. Christ is the one that we give 
our lives for. Any fool can die for a foolish 
cause, but only a believer will die for Jesus. You know it's interesting, this 
text certainly does demand for us a willingness to take up our 
cross and suffer unto death if necessary. But this cross also, 
or this text also demands that we take up our cross and follow 
Jesus in the ordinary, in the normal. And this is where we 
can go back to donuts and to games. This is where we can go 
back to the way that we conduct ourselves. My brothers, if you 
are putting yourself before your wives, chances are you're not 
going to suffer on a cross for your Lord. Ladies, if you are 
too proud and too arrogant to actually submit unto your own 
husband as unto the Lord, then probably if the RCMP shows up 
at your door and says, you're coming with us if you profess 
to be a Christian, If you are not living in the ordinary, if 
you are not functioning in the normal, if you are not practicing 
self-denial in those situations, then there's no reason to conclude 
that you're going to die for Jesus should it become necessary. 
You see, so it is intertwined because we do live under blessing. We have common grace in our society. We are able to gather here this 
morning. We are blessed to open up hymn 
books to praise God. You see, the ordinary and the 
normal ought to be approached with the selfsame denial that 
we would have if called upon to die for the Savior today in 
five corners. You know, sometimes it seems 
to me the struggle is more the ordinary than the normal. I like 
to think that every brother, every sister in here that confesses 
the name of Jesus, if there were Mounties or RCMP, if I understood 
only Americans call them Mounties. I've said Mountie in Canada. 
What are you talking about? The RCMP. In America, everybody 
calls them the Mounties. If they were lined up, are you 
a Christian? Yes. Willingly go to five corners 
and die. But how many of us are going 
to go home right after this sermon, right after this message, when 
we have heard about self-denial, we have seen the example of a 
crucified Savior, and we're going to go home and insist, demand, 
make sure that everything always goes my way. It's sad. Praise God for the Savior. Praise 
God for Jesus. Praise God it's not our self-denial 
that gets us into heaven, ultimately. It's Christ's self-denial. It's 
Christ's crucifixion. It's Christ's resurrection on 
the third day. At best in this life, our self-denial 
is going to ebb and it's going to flow. At best in this life, 
our self-denial is going to be that on-board resident, probably 
until we cross the River Jordan. That self-denial, brethren, is 
imperfect in this life, but is absolutely perfect in the life 
of the Savior, and in this we rest, and in this we trust. Well, secondly, in terms of the 
broad structure, I'm sorry, thirdly, the explanation. Notice in verses 
25 to 27. We have, as I said, dealt with 
this previously in chapter 10. I think his explanation here 
makes it abundantly clear what he's talking about. Notice that 
verses 25, 26, and 27 all begin with the word for. These are 
reasons. Here's what self-denial looks 
like. Take up your cross and daily follow Christ for discussion 
about life, for a discussion about the world, for Jesus is 
going to come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. 
That's sort of the structure that we have here. We'll just 
take up the first two fours, specifically verses 25 and 26. 
Notice For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but 
whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." I think this 
is pretty obvious. We can amplify it a little bit 
just to see how it ought to be understood. For whoever desires 
to save his temporal life, to save his earthly existence, to 
save his place here and now, Those who demand on self first, 
and know Christ, and certainly not others, they're going to 
lose their lives. Is that obvious? You see, if you fight tenaciously 
to hold on to what you have here, it's as if the final pronouncement 
is you can take that right into the pit of hell. If that's what 
you value, if that's what you prize, if that's what you hold 
dear, if that's what's most important to you, depart from me, for I 
never knew you. Those who hold fast to temporal 
life will lose eternal life. The middle section of verse 25, 
"...but whoever loses his life for My sake..." This is the context. What has Jesus said? Take up 
the cross and follow Me. Jesus says, whoever loses his 
life for my sake, in other words, his discipleship is legit, meaning 
his confession of saving faith in Christ is legit. Those who 
live in this manner, those who live like this, are those who 
have been justified freely by the grace of God through faith 
in Jesus Christ. Whoever loses his life for my 
sake will find it. Again, France makes this perceptive 
comment. I tried to illustrate it earlier 
about the man blowing himself up for Allah. He says, "...loss 
of life as such is no gain. It is a life lost out of loyalty 
to Jesus, which ensures that true life is gained." So this 
is the experience of the Apostle Paul. Turn to Philippians chapter 
3. Philippians chapter 3. I think he illustrates very clearly 
for us what it was to live for temporal life. Specifically a 
religious standing in his community. but then by the grace of God 
to renounce that and embrace the grace offered freely in and 
through the Lord Jesus and to know what genuine eternal life 
was all about. He indicates his accomplishments 
in verses 1 to 6. And that's precisely what he's 
doing. If anybody has a right to boast about their place before 
God based on their performance, it's me, is what Paul says. Because 
he's showing the futility of it. He's showing the emptiness 
of it. If you think this morning that 
you're going to make it to heaven without Jesus, I'm speaking to 
you. If you think for a moment this 
morning that you're going to make it to heaven without Jesus, 
just ask yourself if you're this religious. Notice what Paul says 
in Philippians chapter 3 at verse 3. For we are the circumcision, 
who worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and 
have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence 
in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may 
have confidence in the flesh, I more so." You see what Paul 
is doing? These Judaizers are coming along 
and they're saying, you need to this, and you need to that, 
and you need to this. Paul says, none of that you do is going 
to commend you to God. If there's one among the Philippians 
that could actually have confidence in the flesh, Paul says, I more 
so. If ever there was a religiously 
accomplished man in this world, it was Saul of Tarsus. Notice 
his description. I'm sorry, verse 5, "...circumcised 
the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, 
a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law of Pharisee, concerning 
zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness 
which is in the law, blameless." You see, you don't have that 
accomplishment. That much was not enough for 
the Apostle Paul because it's not perfect, personal, exact, 
and entire obedience that our God demands. Now notice what 
he goes on to say in verse 7. But what things were gained to 
me, these I have counted lost for Christ, yet indeed I also 
count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of 
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all 
things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be 
found in him, not having my own righteousness which is from the 
law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness 
which is from God by faith." gains Christ unto eternal life. This is the point of Jesus' words 
in verse 25. The one who desires to save, 
to preserve, to pamper his temporal life is going to lose his life 
in the age to come. But he who, by God's grace, takes 
up his cross, is willing to die for the Lord Jesus, who's willing 
to lose his life in this world for the sake of Christ, will 
gain it." I love the first statement in 
the Orthodox Catechism, which is the Heidelberg Catechism as 
well. What is your only comfort in 
life and death? That both in soul and body, whether 
I live or die, I am not my own, but belong wholly unto my most 
faithful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." You see, that is life. That is everything. That is abundance 
of joy. You see, as we read this, I feel 
like I'm putting a negative spin on it. But the reality is, it's 
most blessed to lose life in this age, but to have it unto 
the age to come. Do you want 80, 90 years of, 
you know, I don't know, how happy can people get in this world? 
You see the people that should be the happiest, they seem the 
most miserable. People with all the money, they seem so unhappy. 
People with all the friends, they seem lonely at times. Stuff 
can't satisfy. Christ satisfies. You want 80 
years of satisfaction in this world, or when we've been there 
10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days 
to sing God's praise than when we first begun? I mean, it seems 
like a no-brainer to me. Do you want eternity? Use the 
analogy of C.S. Lewis. Do you want to play with 
mud pies? Do you want to play with mud 
pies in the gutter and forfeit a holiday at the sea? No, of 
course not. You want that which is most satisfying. The disciple of Christ has that 
in his Lord and Savior. And then notice verse 26, a condemnation 
of worldliness, or this idea that men can be satisfied by 
the things that they find in this world. For what profit is 
it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? 
You don't need to have gone to seminary. You don't need to have 
gone to Sunday school to answer this question, do you? It's pretty 
easy, isn't it? The Lord Jesus was a great teacher. He was able to make his points 
very clearly. It doesn't take a lot of exegetical 
work to understand that the answer is there's no profit. There is 
nothing to gain. There is nothing that this world 
holds forth that is more profitable than the preciousness of the 
soul. What profit is it to a man if 
he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Then he asks another question, 
again a most simple question. He says, or what will a man give 
in exchange for his soul? It's unfortunate. The answer 
there again is nothing. There's nothing we can give to 
exchange for the soul. There's nothing that we can give 
that is going to gain favor with God. There's nothing that we 
can exchange for something so valuable as that part which is 
most the image of God in us. What will a man give in exchange 
for his soul? And yet everywhere, all the time, 
every single day, we see people doing this very thing. Giving 
stuff in exchange for their soul. Giving stuff, giving pride of 
place to sex, or drugs, or rock and roll. Giving pride of place 
to friends or family. Giving pride of place to anything 
and everything else, instead of the Lord Jesus. What will 
it profit a man? Or what will a man give in exchange 
for his soul? I'm going to bring this to a 
close at this particular time, here and now. I want to end on 
this sober reality. Who are you living for today? 
What's most important to you? What matters? What's everything? Is it stuff? Solomon says, riches do not profit 
in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. You don't 
need more stuff in your life. We've got way too much stuff 
as it is. If you're never convinced of 
that, move sometime. Where did this stuff come from? 
Our stuff went into the closet and it multiplied with other 
stuff. And yet people pursue stuff as 
if stuff will bring them happiness. Stuff doesn't bring happiness. Sex does not bring happiness 
outside of marriage. God has given that to his people, 
or to people in the covenant. And I mention this because we 
have young people in our church. And there is a sensuality in 
our age on all fronts, an enticement, an incitement to engage in this 
particular activity. Don't do it! It will not deliver 
you from the day of wrath, but it may help you hasten that day 
of wrath. You see, men will do anything 
for anything that will bring them some passing pleasure. It could even be legitimate stuff. Family! Brethren, if family comes 
before Jesus, you missed Matthew 10. Because here in Matthew 16, 
he highlights that he comes before self, he comes before the world. But look back in Matthew 10, 
he tells us that he comes before family. He said, but I love my 
family. Jesus is nice. He's kind. He's 
gracious. He's not going to tell you to 
unnecessarily get rid of your family. But for the believer, 
for the disciple, who must always come first? The best thing you 
men can do is to tell your wives, not so much in words but by your 
lives, that Jesus comes first. The best thing a wife can do 
for her husband is to demonstrate in her life that Christ comes 
first. The best thing we can do for 
our children is to demonstrate to them that Christ comes first. 
Best thing that a child could do. I would love it if my child 
said, I love Jesus more than you, Daddy. Praise God, from 
whom all blessings flow. What does John say? I have no 
greater joy than that my children walk in the truth. The child 
grasps that, and Jesus comes first. If the pecking order is 
Jesus, and then Father, and then themselves, we're going to say, 
well, you don't love me like... Praise the Lord. We can take 
lawful pursuits, we can take legitimate things and so invert 
the structure that it becomes sinful. Notice in 1037, he who 
loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me. 
And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of 
me. You say, well, that sounds offensive. 
It's not offensive when the God of heaven and earth tells us 
that He comes first in our lives. That's a no-brainer. We were 
made for Him. We were made to serve Him. We 
were made to glorify Him. We were made to honor Him. He 
must always come first, always. And he goes on to say, and he 
who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy 
of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses 
his life for my sake will find it. You see, Jesus doesn't redefine 
the terms of discipleship based upon the audience. No, he tells 
it the way it is in every circumstance and in every situation. Who are 
you living for today? Who is first in your life? Is 
it the case that you are trying to exchange something for your 
soul? If that is the case, then may 
I say to you, believe on the Lord Jesus. You see, sometimes 
I think people get affected in preaching, or they hear sermons, 
I'm not saying this one necessarily, but the Spirit does come, He 
operates in the public place by His will. See, that's one 
of the unique things about public preaching. You see, anybody out 
there right now in Internet land could have clicked off. You could 
click off, but you know when you stand up and walk out, everybody's 
going to say, why did they do that? Might be enough fear for 
you to stay in your chair, stay in your seat. The Spirit affects, the Spirit 
works, the Spirit moves. And then right after the Amen, 
chaos is forgotten. How about you take this one home 
today? How about you ask the question, who am I living for? 
How about you get a loan somewhere? How about you forego the soup, 
or shovel it down faster than normal, so that you can have 
some alone time between you and God, and ask the question very 
clearly. I don't care if you're old here, 
I don't care if you're young here, the same question applies. 
Who am I living for? And if it's not Jesus, then believe 
on Him. Turn from your sin. Look to Christ 
and be ye saved. If you are a believer and you 
say, yes, it is Christ, but I've allowed this selfishness to come 
in, I've been acting like an idiot, then repent, forsake it, 
confess it, and as Solomon says in Proverbs 28, 13, you will 
find mercy. Here's what discipleship looks 
like according to Jesus, according to His Word, and what is ultimately 
most beneficial for each and every one of us. Well, let us 
pray. Our Father, we thank You for 
Your Word, and we thank You for this section of Scripture, Matthew 
10, and other passages in the Gospel records, and throughout 
the New Testament, and even the Old Testament, that so clearly 
testify that the one who professes saving faith ought to be the 
one who seeks to glorify God, who seeks to honor the Lord, 
who seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, realizing 
that other things will be added to us along the way. Grant us 
grace as those who profess faith to be faithful with reference 
to these passages, and God, for any and all here outside of Christ, 
do that work which is impossible. Put desire into the heart, change 
the heart, and cause men, women, boys, and girls to be willing 
in the day of your power. May your Spirit come, and may 
the Spirit do that great work of salvation, that great work 
of regeneration, conversion, all the things that the Bible 
tells us that God is sovereign over. We do not go in despair, 
we go with great hope. because we know that you are 
the God who delights to save sinners through Jesus Christ. 
We ask that you would bless us now, that you would go with us 
and cause us not to lose these things, to not forget these things 
quickly. But may we take it to heart, 
and may we get alone with you, and may we examine ourselves 
before a holy God with open Bibles and open hearts. And we pray 
this through Christ our Lord. Amen.