Carrying The Cross
Download Sermon Carrying The Cross
Carrying The Cross
Mark 8:34
D. Robert Chance
“Then he called the crowd to him, along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. Mark 8:34
Those who follow Jesus must deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow, lose our lives in the embrace of his way.
Introduction…
An Anecdote…
I read about a discussion in a church that begins its worship service by having children bear the cross in the processional at the beginning of their worship. Some members of the Board though it was a job that ought to go to a “mature, recognized Christian,”, because this was the very beginning of worship, a sign of all that is about to take place in the service.
The minister spoke on behalf of the practice of having a teenager in the church carry the cross. “I do think it’s a nice thing to recognize our youth in this way”, someone said.
“I don’t say a teenager ought to be the cross carrier in order to honor them, the minister replied. “I think that we have a responsibility to train up our youth in the practices of discipleship. Let’s get them started in carrying the cross. If they do enough on Sunday morning, maybe they will be able to do it for the rest of their lives, Monday through Saturday.”
Scripture Reference
At this point in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus begins to teach his disciples that he must suffer and be rejected. Even more, he teaches them that to be one of his disciples they too must be willing to suffer and to sacrifice.
Jesus had encountered much controversy and opposition to his message. It wasn’t all peaches and cream as he traveled the dusty roads of Galilee while calling people to a new and deeper sense of what it mean to live under God’s way. The scripture begins today by noting that a “great crowd had gathered.” So, Jesus feeds the hungry crowd. He begins to heal the suffering among them. At last, he begins to teach them. “Then he began to teach them”. (8:31)
He teaches them that “that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed…”
That is a hard teaching. It is not what people expected. In fact, it ran counter to what people expected. A Messiah is not supposed to suffer – he is supposed to rule and to deliver. In the minds and hearts of the people to whom he originally spoke the Messiah would lead the overthrow of the Romans. No wonder Peter rebukes Jesus. Everything Jesus was saying ran counter to what Peter expected – and wanted to hear from Jesus.
But then the teaching gets even harder. Jesus “calls to him the multitude with his disciples” and teaches them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”. (8:34). Jesus teaches anyone and everyone within shouting distance of his voice that the requirement is not just for the big 12 but for ALL who would follow him.
This is at the very heart of what it means to follow Jesus. He teaches that all who follow him must also suffer and be crucified and die. He teaches that all would follow him must make the difficult choices in life – the ones that require hard work and sacrifice. He teaches that to follow Him we must carry the cross – as he carried the cross.
Those who follow Jesus must deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow, lose our lives in the embrace of his way.
I. Bearing the cross to be a follower of Jesus, a disciple of His seems to have been lost upon many of his followers in today’s world.
As often as not, today people seem to think that bearing the cross was something that was meant only for Jesus.
Today, people seem to think that being a Christian should be easy, pleasant, a thing of joy. Being a Christian is a thing of joy – but not in the same way so many think it is.
We take bearing the cross to casually. We take the message of “sacrifice expected” too lightly. We seem to think that being a Christian costs nothing, or next to nothing, or at least nothing that we would especially notice.
We get upset when our church seems to think we all owe something back – something significant, something meaningful, and something that costs us.
We seem to think it’s a free ride. Nothing asked, nothing expected, nothing given – at least nothing that would inconvenience me, cost me, delay me from my goals in life or otherwise result in sacrifice or discomfort.
I saw something in a survey recently that indicated people were no more loyal to their church than they were to their brand of toothpaste. Now, that’s sad.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us not only that are destined for a cross, but that a cross awaits all of us at the end of our journey. He not only predicts his own passion but the suffering and passion of all of those who would follow him.
Jesus issues a simple and direct, “Follow me!” but the big print that follows (no small print lawyer was Jesus) made it clear that following Him required sacrifice and serious effort.
I. God forbid, responds Peter, reflecting the position of many in the church today – God forbid, if you think either you or we are going to have to give anything up to follow you.
Peter was early on one of the leaders of the disciples and Peter just couldn’t grasp what Jesus meant by his own sacrifice on a cross and ultimately the sacrifice of every one of His disciples.
Peter protests: No way. Tell me it isn’t so.
Jesus responds: “Get thee behind me Satan”. Swiftly and clearly and without apology Jesus tells Peter and all within ear shout that “yes, sacrifice and ultimately death are required – both of Him and of all those who would follow Him.
We too protest. We, like Peter seem to object to the notion of sacrifice and carrying the cross. Like some lawyer in a drama filled, people packed courtroom stand and loudly object. “OBJECTION”, YOUR HONOR, I OBJECT”.
We seem to want it easy.
We seem to want it without much sacrifice, if any sacrifice at all.
We want to be disciples without consequence.
We want to ride the train but we don’t want to pay for the ticket.
We think it’s free.
We think it’s easy.
We think its all fun and games.
Sacrifice? Give things up? Pay a cost? For many the expected and firm response is “no way”, “No way, brother, no way”.
II. But, Jesus makes it clear. He made it clear to Peter and his first disciples and He makes it clear to us today. Being a follower of His requires self denial, and cross bearing.
Being a Christian is meant to be demanding.
Being a Christian is meant to be difficult.
Being a Christian requires – not just something – but a lot.
Jesus makes it clear that his demands are tough and difficult.
What Jesus expects of us goes against what our culture teaches us to expect from our “religion”.
What Jesus expects of us goes against everything we’ve come to expect in today’s modern world. There are no books “The One Minute Christian”. There are no “fast”, “easy”, “effortless” paths to faithful discipleship. Not long ago, not yesterday, not today and not tomorrow.
Being a Christian isn’t for the faint of heart.
Being a Christian isn’t for the lazy.
Being a Christian isn’t for the passive.
To be a disciple of Jesus, not just in but especially in this old world today requires:
- Personal sacrifice.
- Standing up against Satan.
- Helping others stand up against Satan.
- Being willing to lose your very life – in order to find life in Him.
- Putting God FIRST, not last, or next to last or near the bottom or in the middle or near the top – but FIRST in your life.
- Costly and more.
Being a Christian means being willing to bear the cross – it’s not an “honor”, it’s a requirement. It isn’t easy – never was intended to be easy.
Being willing to carry the cross for your Lord means:
- Paying the price.
- Paying the price – with your heart and soul.
- Paying the price – with your treasure.
- Paying the price – with your time and your gifts.
- Paying the price – with your choices.
- Of not being ashamed to stand up and tell others to whom you belong.
The way is hard – never any other way – I don’t care what I or others say to you to soften the blow – but the blessings are out of this world.
- Self satisfaction that comes from being one of His.
- Happiness that comes from having your priorities right and straight.
- Blessings that God bestows upon those who are faithful to Him.
- Joy that comes from within and exceeds any kind of joy the world has to offer.
In essence, Jesus calls us to
Step Up…
Step Out…
Step High in our calling from Him.
Now I know all this talk of self denial and cross bearing and suffering is hard and demanding but I also know that God blesses those who are able to take up the cross and follow Him.
We might expect that at the end of the story today Mark would have told us that after all this hard teaching stuff most of His disciples got up and left, muttering to themselves, “I had no idea He was walking in this direction”. “I’m outta here”.
But, if any of the disciples left with their dimes in their pockets Mark says nothing of it.
His disciples are faithful.
They stay with him.
They may not know exactly what to expect but they know enough to expect it to be hard and costly – but they are committed, they are dedicated, they are devoted – and they stay.
It’s amazing when we consider how “uncool”, how utterly “out of touch” with good marketing Jesus was when he issues His call to discipleship.
Yet, a few – not all, no, by no means not all.
A few, a precious few; the proud, the tall, the best of the best stayed to follow Him and to become one of His.
Jesus would reward them by saying to them “you are light of the world”.
Today, Jesus teaches us the same lesson.
Today, Jesus issues us the same call.
Today, Jesus invites us to the same challenging, costly, difficult, sacrificial life in Him.
Our call is not to simply sit here and listen to Jesus’ teaching.
Our call is not to expect the “Gospel Light” version which tastes great and has less calories.
Our call is bear the cross, pay the price, and step up to the sacrifice expected.
Closing…
I have read a church that was redecorating and left the cross out of the sanctuary – just wasn’t room for it”, said one of the members! “Frankly, once we got the new organ installed, dominating the front of the church, there just wasn’t room for the cross,” explained the pastor.
Take this a sort of parable for our times and for more than one of our churches today. Amid all of our busyness and programs and service and beauty there just isn’t room for the cross.
Statistics show that a very high percentage of new members received will fall away from active membership within the first year.
Statistics show that a very high percentage of long term members become in-active and don’t give and don’t come very often.
Statistics, right here in Aspen Hill Christian Church show that average giving, average attendance, average commitment is pretty low.
Statistics show that people want “Gospel light”, “church light”, “faith convenient”.
I don’t care what statistic show – I won’t surrender to the current culture of “Church of the Low Road” kind of expectations.
“I think the problem is Jesus” someone said. “Jesus is demanding and difficult. Right you are, I say! Right you are.
Jesus is hard and demanding.
Jesus is also loving and blessing beyond description to those who can hear His message and still come and still follow Him.
“Then he called the crowd to him, along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. Mark 8:34
Those who follow Jesus must deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow, lose our lives in the embrace of his way.