Take Up Your Cross, And Follow Jesus.

Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

In today’s time, most Christians have no idea what it is to be a real Christian. I know many will laugh and will ask who give you the right to judge other Christians, well no one. But let me ask you this question, are you properly following Jesus? Before, you answer that question, I would ask you to study this verse. Study it really good, and then ask yourself “am I rightly following Christ”. We have Christians who commit numerous sinful acts and they still attend church on regular basis, some even fill the pulpits. It is true that we are all sinners, and if we are saved then we are saved by the same God, through the same Saviour, or we are not saved. And please let us not forget, we are all sinners. Therefore, we should stop judging other Christians and start judging our own selves. Now, with that said, let me ask again, just how good of a Christian are you. Sometimes Christians are full of themselves instead of the Lord. Following Jesus is a most glorious thing, but to truly follow Jesus is very painful and miserable at time. If we think back at the life that Jesus lived, we should see just how horrible and painful of a life we ought to live. Christians who truly followed Jesus have lived miserable earthly lives. Peter was forced to lie about Jesus three time in denying Him. Paul lived a very hard life in his following of Jesus. Many of the Lord’s Apostles and disciples live hard lives and were even crucified for following the Lord. Millions of real followers of Christ have been murdered simply for their faith in Christ, and following Him. Many of Christians have lived in starvation, and died slow and horrible deaths just for the right to live for Jesus Christ. To farther the gospel, to keep the church in truth, and to preserve the doctrine of the scriptures. Today, Christians are weak, we have a hard time understanding the scriptures, we have a hard time following the scriptures. All of these past Christians gave everything to follow Jesus Christ, but in our day we look for excuses not to attend the church services. The Lord told us “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” Hebrews 10:25 but we look around and members are absent and some of them because they simply had something else to-do. Beloved, the first point we must all learn if we are going too pick-up our cross and follow the Lord, is the Lord is first. Jesus said “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38 No matter where that will have led Him, even to the cross. So what does it mean to truly follow Jesus, well the first point is “let him deny himself”. Beloved, a Christians life is not about themselves, while many Christians believe they are to be happy in this life, happiness only comes if God gives it. Following Jesus normally does not mean a happy earthly life, except spiritually. So while we are to deny ourselves, the second point is “take up his cross” but what cross? That is our suffering, our suffering for the Lord, the truth, and the church is our cross. We must learn that this life is not about us being happy (in the flesh), but about God being blessed in us. It is about our following Jesus Christ no matter where that road leads nor how bumpy it may get. In Romans 8:28 it says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” But for who’s good? Our good, no, not at all, everything is for God’s good even if it means we will suffer, or even give our life to the Lord.  And the last thing our scripture says is “follow me.” Are you following Jesus Christ in your life, are you really? In order to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we must deny ourselves, suffer our crosses in life, and follow Him. Now beloved, that is a tall order, examine yourself and then see if you are really following the Lord. Read this very carefully - "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." 1 Peter 4:1-2