“THERE’S NO GET WITHOUT GIVE AND NO GAIN WITHOUT PAIN”
(Mat. 16:24-28)
3/31/2005
The words that Jesus spoke here and that Matthew recorded for us…strikes a Death Blow to the current trend of modern day contemporary Christianity.
So much of our modern day Christianity is bent on a self-centered consumption.
People today want to identify with Jesus Christ…
They want to call themselves Christians…
And their whole perspective towards this is…for what they can get out of it.
• Self-esteem…
• Self-image…
• Self-love…is at an all time high not only in our worldly society, but it has crept into our worldly churches as well.
The truth is…
Ill-informed and Biblically illiterate preachers and teachers have… prostituted the Divine Principle of what Christianity is all about.
• They are teaching something that simply is not right.
• They are proclaiming something that is not Biblical.
“Do you want to be Happy? Come to Jesus.”
“Do you want to be Well? Come to Jesus”
“Do you want to be Rich? Come to Jesus.”
“Do you want Prosperity? Come to Jesus”
And in doing this…they are saying that its all GET and its all Gain.
Jesus comes along and says just the opposite:
He says…
• Before you can GET…you’ve got to GIVE.
• Before the GAIN…comes the PAIN.
• Before you can WIN…you’ve got to LOOSE.
Jesus puts it all in the RIGHT order:
• The CROSS comes before the CROWN.
• The SUFFERING comes before the GLORY.
• The SACRIFICE comes before the REWARD.
In Biblical Christianity…and in the Teachings of Jesus Christ…
You’ll never GET…until you have first GIVEN.
You’ll never WIN…until you have first LOST.
THIS is the Truth that Jesus Repeatedly taught throughout the New Testament.
He taught it in Matthew’s Gospel and Mark’s and Luke’s and John’s Gospel.
• This was Important!
• This was Necessary!
• He taught it over and over and over again!
You GET by GIVING.
You GAIN through PAIN.
You WIN by LOSEING.
Up until this point in time here in Matthew 16, Jesus has taught them time and time again about…
The Cost of Discipleship…the Sacrifice involved…the Hostility they could expect…the Reproach they would endure…
BUT STILL…THESE DISCIPLES HADN’T CAUGHT ON!
And there’s a reason why they hadn’t.
These men were literally raised on a “Glory” concept of the Messiah.
When the Messiah arrived, they expected Him to
Overthrow Rome.
Dethrone Herod.
And Establish His Kingdom.
It was hard for them to accept the fact that even when Jesus was presented with the opportunity of becoming King of Israel…He flatly rejected it!
BUT…They had seen Him perform Miracles that could not be explained!
AND…they had heard Him speak with such authority like none other…
And in their heart of hearts…they KNEW He was the Messiah!
NOW…let’s back up a bit to verse 13…and work our way back to the text.
By this time, these men had been with Jesus some 2 and a half years.
*Vrs.13, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”
Peter eventually speaks up and says, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
We know You are the Messiah.
We know You are in essence One with God.
We know You are the Son of the Living God.
Jesus responds back by saying…Peter, only God could have revealed My Deity to you…and Upon My Deity I will build My Church.
Then Jesus says in vrs.19…that not only will I build My Church…but I’m going to build My Kingdom.
And I’m going to give you a place of Authority.
I’m going to allow you to be a ruler within My Kingdom.
WOW! This was Great News! Finally the Kingdom was going to come! Finally the Messiah was going to assert Himself!
THEN…in the next breath…Jesus says, “And by the way…we’ve got to go to Jerusalem…I’m going to be KILLED.
And He also told them that he was going to be raised from the dead 3 days latter (Vrs.21)
But they didn’t hear that…all they heard was the word, “KILLED”
Immediately…Peter began to rebuke Him.
Peter says, “Wait a minute Lord!” “Hold on a minute here Lord! “Stop right here!”
“We’re talking Kingdoms! We’re talking Thrones! We’re not talking Death!”
Vrs.22, “…Be it far from Thee, Lord; this shall not be unto Thee.”
Peter wanted the GAIN…but he didn’t want the PAIN.
Peter wanted the GLORY…but he didn’t want the SUFFERING.
NOW…look at the first word in verse 24, “Then.”
That means…Right Then! Immediately! Right Then…Jesus knew He had to straighten Peter out.
Jesus says, “Hey…stop Right There…don’t say another word…We’ve got to get something straight before we go any further!”
NOW…here’s the Death-Blow that strikes at the heart of contemporary Christianity…and here’s the Death-Blow that struck at the heart of Peter:
“IF ANY MAN WILL COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOW ME.”
NOW…here’s what Jesus was saying:
• If you are going to come to Me…
• If you are going to follow Me…
• If you are going to be a Christian…
• If you are going to be a Disciple…
Then you are going to have to come to Me on MY terms!
Here’s the Question: “How Do You Come To Christ?”
(What are Christ’s Terms?)
3 things:
1. Self-Denial.
2. Cross Bearing.
3. Loyal Obedience.
(I). SELF-DENIAL.
The word Jesus used was “Deny”…which means to Disown.
When a person comes to Christ…the very first thing he has to do in order to come to Christ on Christ’s Terms is…Deny the fact that he has any capacity whatsoever to save himself.
• You do not have any capacity to Be what God wants you to be.
• You do not have any capacity to Redeem yourself.
• You do not have any capacity to Justify your self.
• You must Deny yourself and Disown yourself completely!
The sinner must see himself in his sin.
The sinner must see himself Condemned in God’s sight.
The sinner must see himself in a state of Damnation.
The sinner must see himself in a state of total Desperation.
This is what Jesus taught in the Greatest Message ever preached…the Sermon on the Mount.
*Mat.5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
The key word here is, “Poor.”
HOW POOR?
• Too poor to earn it…
• Too poor to gain it…
• Total Inward Poverty.
• So poor you have to beg.
The sinner before God sits in his rags of self-righteousness…begging someone to give him something!
The sinner must see himself…Damned…Doomed…Destitute…Depraved!
ONLY DESPERATE PEOPLE COME TO GOD!
*Luke 18:9, “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
The Pharisee had a Good Self-Image of himself.
He was Proud.
He was Bragging on himself.
He thought himself to be Somebody!
Then…over in the corner is a man on his face toward the ground that wouldn’t even look up.
He has nothing to brag about.
He has nothing to be proud of.
He simply cries out, “God…be merciful to me a sinner!”
And Jesus said, THAT man went home justified!
You see the Proud Sinner wants…
Christ AND his Pleasure.
Christ AND his Covetousness.
Christ AND his Immorality.
Christ AND his Selfishness.
But it doesn’t work that way…you come to Christ on HIS terms…or you do not come at all!
Self-Denial strikes a Death-Blow at the very heart and soul of our society today.
What is self-denial?
• When you patiently bear Reproach, Rumors, Back-stabbing, and Character assignation for the cause of Christ…that is self-denial.
• When you are content with any food, any money, any clothing, and are willing to give it all up for the cause of Christ…that is self-denial.
• When you never care to talk about yourself in a conversation, or record all your good works…that is self-denial.
• When you never itch after commendation or recognition and are willing to go unnoticed…that is self-denial.
• When you see your brother prosper and have all his needs met…and rejoice with him…that is self-denial.
• When someone of lesser degree points out something wrong in your life and you admit it with no resentment…that is self-denial.
And that’s the way you come to Christ…DISOWNING yourself!
(II). TAKE UP YOUR CROSS.
Taking up your cross doesn’t mean putting up with your Mother-in-law.
*Mat 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed…” Stop right there.
Jesus didn’t say HOW He was going to be killed…He just said that He would be killed.
He didn’t say anything about a Cross.
He had never told them up to this point that He was going to die on a Cross.
THEN…He says in verse 24, “…Take up his cross…”
Do you know what the disciples thought of when Jesus used the word, “Cross?”
After Herod the Great died…the Jews rose up in rebellion against Rome.
A Roman Emperor named Varus had 2,000 Jews crucified in the very area of where these men were.
Each one of these 2,000 Jews had the cross-beam tied to their back…and they were marched to their execution…and crucified on a Cross.
When Jesus used the word, “Cross” each one of these disciples saw in their mind’s eye…these helpless condemned Jews marching to their own death!
Peter! If you are going to follow Me…you are going to have to take up your own cross!
John! If you are going to follow Me…you are going to have to take up your own cross!
Chuck! If you are going to follow Me..you are going to have to take up your own cross!
Larry! If you are going to follow Me…you are going to have to take up your own cross!
What does He mean?
He means…you are going to have to Suffer in one way or another!
Preachers are making it sound like today that…if you want all the Goodies…come to God.
If you want to have a gay old time and kick up your heals and be happy and rich and prosperous…just come to God.
THAT’S NOT THE WAY JESUS TOLD IT!
Jesus said, Following Me requires you to take up your Cross!
“Must Jesus bear the cross alone, and all the world go free?
No! there’s a cross for everyone, and there’s a cross for me!”
Let me show you a verse that has always sent chills up and down my spine:
*Mat 7:13, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
The BROAD road that leads to Destruction…is traveled by MANY.
The NARROW road that leads to Life…is traveled by FEW.
Do you know why it is FEW in comparison with MANY?
Because people refuse to see themselves as Poor, Retched, Doomed and Damned sinners.
And people refuse to take up a cross and suffer for Jesus and His cause.
• They want to GET…but not GIVE.
• They want the GAIN…but no PAIN.
• They want the GLOY…but not the SHAME.
• They want the CROWN…but not the CROSS.
And those are not God’s Terms!
(III). AND FOLLOW ME.
The way these words are constructed…it means that following Christ is a Way of Life.
I well remember the day our family left the States and flew to England to start a church.
It was one of the Saddest days and Happiest days of my life.
Gloria’s family and my family were there to send us off.
When they called for our flight…we did 3 things:
1. We said our good-byes.
2. We pick up our carry-on bags.
3. We proceeded on our journey.
This is the way you come to Christ on His terms:
1. You say your good-byes to self.
2. You pick up your Cross.
3. And you follow Him in a life of Obedience.
*Mat.16:25 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Jesus is saying…you’ve got to LOSE before you can FIND.
What does this mean?
It means…you’ve got a choice.
If you live…only to Save your earthly life…
If you live…only to Preserve your ease, your comfort, and your self-indulgence…you will LOSE your eternal soul!
BUT…if you are willing to Give Up your earthly life…Take Up Your Cross…and Follow Jesus in a life of Obedience…you will SAVE your eternal soul!
The choice is simply this:
GAIN it all now…LOSE it all later!
LOSE it now…GAIN it latter!
• If you chose to GAIN it all now…you must remember that it is only a Temporary gain.
• If you chose to LOSE it all now…it will be an ETERNAL gain latter.
Jesus knew full well that there would be those who would chose to GAIN it all now.
SO…this is what He had to say in verse 26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
• If you could stake your claim to the Grand Canyon…
• If you could look up at the stars at night and claim them as your own…
• If you could fence off all the Oil wells of the world and say they were yours…
What have you gained…if in the end you lose your own eternal soul!?
Jesus also knew that there would be those who would be willing to lose everything for the cause of Christ.
And this is what He had to say to those:
Vrs.27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”
The child of God that Gives and Gives and Gives and Gives…
The child of God that Gives of his Time.
The child of God that gives of his Talents.
The child of God that gives of us Money.
The child of God that gives of his Efforts….
The child of God that puts his heart and soul into the work of Christ…NEVER LOSES!
