The Body of Christ Fellowship Church
Date: July 27, 2010
Speaker:
Pastor Willie J. Henderson, Jr.
True Discipleship: Self-Denial and Taking Up Your Cross
Focus: Death to self and growing in the grace of God
Scriptures:
|
2 Peter 3:18 Philippians 2:21 |
Mark 8:34 Luke 9:23 |
Matthew 16:24 John 7:5 |
Points:
Before we can become a disciple of Jesus, we must lay down our lives and take up our cross.
Pride will not allow you to grow.
Pride will allow you to accumulate information, but it fights against your transformation.
God doesn't want you to get saved and not grow.
Laying your life down is allowing God's interest to be first in your life.
Summary:
Jesus spoke against the evil of the world. The world hated Him because of it. The Word is the wisdom of God. Often because of selfishness, a fool will not receive correction from the Word. Before we can be disciples, we must deny our selves and take up the cross. Denying ourselves is not a one time event. It is continually putting God's interest before ours. This also includes letting go of some things we love for Him. Many are selfishly following their own aims. Thus self has become a major them in the church today. We must let faith guide our free will and not self. God wants us to grow in grace. Pride will not allow you to grow. It will accumulate information, but it fights against transformation. Pride will hold up the maturing process. Either Jesus will be Lord of this body, soul, and strength or self will be lord.