Title Do you want to live?
2011.4.24 Sunday morning worship service
Bible: Matthew 16:24-25
Title: Do You Want to Live?
Matthew 16:24-25 ‘24. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Amen.
Nature's ecology is managed through sunlight and rain from God. However, people invent various methods for survival and development and establish their own existence through the so-called competition for survival. The reason why all kinds of wars and hardships continue in human history in the global village is because there are problems in the purpose and method of living. Today, on Easter Sunday, we would like to get a message through the resurrection of Jesus under the title <Do you want to live?>.
1. We must follow Jesus to live
If we analyze several reasons why the Jews were destroyed until the fall of Jerusalem and the loss of the name of the country in AD 70, according to the prophecy of Jesus.
1. Degeneration of Faith and Conscience (Eating out) 2. Proud of Tradition 3. Man's Commandments (Inheritance of Elders)
Mark 7:8-9 ‘8. You forsake the commandments of God and keep the traditions of men. 9. He also said, "You often forsake the commandments of God to keep your traditions." Such human error has appeared many times in the history of the church, and each time God's judgment comes. There was. The modern church is changing the religious conscience just like that time, and it is causing problems in keeping pure faith through denomination-centered and artificial canon law.
Christianity is a resurrection religion. The resurrection of Jesus is a great event that brought peace to all religions. Also, the resurrection event provided the motivation to bring victory in the essential life of faith. Christian culture has surpassed the world's secular culture.
Matthew 16:24 “... If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
There are laws and customs in our organization, but above all, following the Lord Jesus is the most important thing. When you say follow me, the tense of ajkolouqevw is the present imperative, not to say that you follow once, but it is a strong command to follow continuously.
The original meaning of the word to follow is to accompany and practice together rather than just follow one after another. Following the Lord Jesus is living the Bible. Otherwise, you may be bound by an organization like the Jews, or you may not see the face of the Lord because of traditions and customs and follow the wrong direction. We must be awake and always look to the face of the Lord and follow Him.
2. We must take up our cross to live
Jesus carried the cross of the Messiah, and those who follow Him have their own cross to bear.
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
If you believe in Jesus, difficulties arise because the world does not know the truth and you yourself do not have the constitution of the truth. This is a phenomenon that happens when the truth meets the world, and it happens in any environment and in any age, so we have to accept it positively. There is no difference between heavy and light crosses, and everyone is heavy.
When taking up the cross, ajparnevomai, denying oneself, means rejecting the old self, and is a thorough submission of the self to the truth. The saints were commanded by the Lord not only to take responsibility for food, clothing, and shelter, but also to help their brothers and even love their enemies.
3. The self of nature must die to win
Man's attachment to his own existence can be accomplished according to his plan, but he cannot obtain the grace from heaven. Christian salvation is not only that we receive forgiveness and eternal life at the same time through the blood of Jesus.
The event of the Lord Jesus' resurrection is not only atonement and eternal life, but also an event of assurance that made it possible to overcome the dominion of the worldly devil. Therefore, we have to win every day, and the secret is that we have to abandon our nature's self.
Matthew 16:25 “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Life here means life itself rather than just breathing life. Therefore, the word seeking life means that you will be filled with salvation.
We have made a lot of mistakes because of the wrong ways, philosophies and ideologies that we commit to live our lives. We don't know how many people have died because of communist ideas, and how many people are frustrated because they lose a better outlook on life because of capitalism's attachment to material wealth.
We wanted to live, so we wanted to live happily, but because people's sense of purpose or method is wrong, the pain in the global village is still not ending. Now we have met God who will make us happy. It is the way to victory through faith that entrusts your entire life to Jesus Christ.
The things we invest in the world are always insecure. However, Jesus was confirmed to be the one who is alive and who will ascend to heaven and even return to heaven. That's why it's a pleasure to invest everything in him. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to invest in something that is verified and guaranteed.
Not only that person, but also people who have lived in Yongchang sometimes hear such things. The way of life is chosen and made according to the values of the person's view of life. If the purpose is good, the method is good, and if the purpose is set in heavenly glory, the earthly way of life is also noble. The noblest way of life that a Christian has been given is to live with all that he has in Jesus Christ.
Today, let's not hesitate to entrust our entire lives to Jesus, who still leads us to the good and gives us victory in the end. If you really want to live well, I want you to live with a strong will to risk your life for the Lord. I believe that the Lord will teach you and let you know how to live well. *