12 Keys fo Follow & Serve Jesus as Lord

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Crucifixion is a shocking metaphor for discipleship. A disciple must deny himself (die to self-will), take up his cross (embrace God’s will, no matter the cost), and follow Christ. ESVSB on Matt 10:38 -- Richard on "follow Christ" (learn and fully follow Christ's commands - Jn 14:21, 1 Jn 2:4-5). Only by dying to self-will and embracing God’s will one be able to focus on following Christ’s commands.

(A) Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter."  NLT

1. This promise of Jesus in Matthew 7:21 is one of the scariest verses in the Bible for those who say Jesus is their Lord.
2. Who does Jesus say are the ONLY people going to heaven?
3. Where do the who call Jesus their Lord but who don't "do the will of my Father" (living a live of increasing learning of and obedience to ALL of God's commands) go?
4. Studies #1 and #2 will show you how to make Jesus your real Lord.

(B) Mark 8:34 

1. Mark 8:34 in 2 different translations:
2. NLT "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me."  
3. NIV "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  
4. AMP (Amplified Bible) "Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]." 
5. Questions are in red, Bible text is in green and commentary quotations are in lavender.
6. "Mark 8:34-35 is the pinnacle of Mark, the key of the whole gospel."  John MacArthur
7. ANYONE can become a Jesus follower! ("If any of you wants to be my follower,")
   1. Regardless of what you've done in the past!
8. But Jesus has 3 requirements ("you must")
   1. In Mark 8:34 what are Jesus' 3 absolute requirements for those who want to follow him? 
9. Jesus's three absolute requirements are explained in the following text. This is how you make Jesus your real Lord.

(C) "give up your own way,"

Give Up Your Self-Centered Desires (Jesus, and not my desires (money, TV, games, sports, things, status, etc.) must be #1) 

1. Means to "say no to self" and "Nothing knowingly held back" John MacArthur
2. Many translations say something like "deny themselves" instead of "give up your own way".
   1. "It refers to a denial of self-centered interests" CSB Study Bible
3. "Cease to make self the object of one’s life and actions." NIVSB
4. "The goal of self-denial and taking up one’s cross is not pathological self-abasement or a martyr complex but being free to follow the Messiah. Self-denial means letting go of self-determination and replacing it with obedience to and dependence on the Messiah."  ESVSB 
5. Which 2 of the above commentaries helped you the most? Why? 
6. 1 Peter 4:2 "You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God."  NLT
7. Matthew 26.39  "... Yet I (Jesus) want your will to be done, not mine."  NLT
8. In the above 2 verses what must I be chasing after and be anxious to do? 
9. Mark 8:34-37 "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [35] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. [36] What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? [37] Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"  NIV 
   1. In v35 how does Jesus summarize v34?
   2. v35 "whoever loses their life for me." A saying of Jesus found in all four Gospels and in two Gospels more than once (Luke 14:26 – 27; 17:33; Mt 10:38 – 39; 16:24 – 25; Mk 8:34 – 35; Jn 12:25). No other saying of Jesus is given such emphasis."  NIVSB on Luke 9:24
   3. "There is always the temptation to save our life-to live comfortably, to provide for the future, to make one’s own choices, with self as the center of everything. There is no surer way of losing one’s life. Christ calls us to pour out our lives for His sake and the gospel’s, dedicating ourselves to Him spirit, soul, and body. He asks us to spend and be spent in His holy service, laying down our lives, if necessary, for the evangelization of the world. That is what is meant by losing our lives. There is no surer way of saving them."  BBC
   4. "Jesus’ paradoxical statement demands two different senses of the word “life”: whoever lives a self-centered life focused on this present world (i.e., would save his life) will not find eternal life with God (will lose it); whoever gives up his self-centered life of rebellion against God (loses his life) for the sake of Christ and the gospel will find everlasting communion with God."   ESVSB 
   5. Which one of the above commentaries helped you the most? Why?   
   6. Do the above passages teach "Knowing & Serving God AND advancing the gospel (Good News) MUST be our #1 priority"? 
10. Luke 14:26-28, 33 "If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else-your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. [27] And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. [28] "But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? ... [33] So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own."  NLT
    1. What are all of Jesus commands in Luke 14:26-28, 33? 
    2. "Those who would be Christ’s disciples must (1) love their family less than they love Christ (Luke 14:26); (2) bear the cross and follow Christ (v. 27); and (3) relinquish everything (v. 33). These are complementary ways of describing complete commitment. The first condition for discipleship is to hate one’s father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and life. “Hating” is a Semitic expression for loving less".  ESV Study Bible Note for Luke 14:26-28, 33
    3. In v28 why do we need to count the cost?  
    4. This is why the title of this verse is "Commit 100%" and not "Commit 90%". Jesus will accept nothing less.

(D) "take up your cross" 

Submit to God's Will Regardless of the Cost 

1. Means to "say no safety".  John MacArthur
2. The extent of self denial, to the point of death, if necessary. Three verses earlier, in Mark 8:31 Jesus said he suffer many things and be killed.
3. With Jesus, the cross was full surrender to the will of God. 
4. The cross is a metaphor for suffering (shame/rejection/persecution) ... means to identifying with Christ in work and home environment  John MacArthur
5. "Crucifixion is a shocking metaphor for discipleship. A disciple must deny himself (die to self-will), take up his cross (embrace God’s will, no matter the cost), and follow Christ."  ESVSB on Matthew 10:38
6. "When Jesus said Take up a cross, they only thought of one thing, horrible suffering, pain and death. Jesus is saying, this is how extreme your devotion has to be, this is willingness to endure persecution, this is willingness to endure hatred, hostility, rejection, reproach, shame, suffering even death."  John MacArthur
7. "Words like these make us wonder how we can really believe that it is all right for us to live in luxury and ease. How can we justify the materialism, selfishness, and coldness of our hearts? His words call us to lives of self-denial, surrender, suffering, and sacrifice."  BBC
8. Dying to self to live for God - "... the believer's cross represents total surrender to Christ's authority. Following Christ wholeheartedly requires deliberate surrender of personal plans and ambitions in complete obedience to Him, no matter the cost. Discipleship involves intentionally disowning 'self' as the primary motivation in life. However, denying self does not mean ignoring, neglecting, or disregarding self. ... When we live for Jesus and seek to be like Him, our focus dramatically widens beyond the narrow attention centered on our little worlds. Self-denial never comes easy. However, life presents no higher calling than giving up our agendas for the Lord's. In Christ's kingdom, to die is to live. Death to self represents spiritual victory."  pg 230 of Bible Study Fellowship study "John's Gospel", 2023
9. Benefits of Suffering "More likely, Peter’s point is that when believers are willing to suffer, the nerve center of sin is severed in their lives. Although believers will never be totally free from sin in this life (cf. James 3:2; 1 John 1:8), when believers endure suffering for the sake of Christ they show that their purpose in life is not to live for their own pleasures but according to the will of God and for his glory."  ESVSB on 1 Peter 4:1
10. Which 2 of the above commentaries helped you the most? Why?   
11. Acts 14:22 "where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God."  NLT
    1. What must we suffer to enter the Kingdom of God?  
12. Hebrews 10:32-34 "Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. [33] Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. [34] You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever."  NLT
    1. In v34 what did they know?  
13. Follow Jesus' Example - Hebrews 12:2-3 "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. [3] Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up."  NLT
    1. Why did Jesus endure the cross?  
14. Suffering includes battling your sinful nature that wants to do what it wants instead of what God wants.
15. Don't let what others will do to me get in the way of following Jesus.
16. Taking up the cross means making a total commitment to following & serving Jesus no matter what the cost.

(E) "and follow me." 

Live to Fully Follow and Serve Jesus (live to learn and do what Jesus wants) 

1. John 8:31-32  "Jesus said to the people who believed in him, You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. (32) And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. "  NLT
   1. Who are Jesus' true disciples?
   2. In v32 what happens to those who "remain faithful to my teachings"?

2. Matthew 28:19-20 (Jesus speaking) "make disciples … baptizing them ... (20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  NIV

   1. How many of Jesus' commands does Jesus command us to obey? 

3. Joshua 1:8 (God speaking) "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."  NIV

   1. How many of God's commandments does God commands us to be "careful to do"?  
4. Matthew 4:10  "You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him."  NLT
   1. Who is the only one we are to serve?   
5. “If Christ is not all to you, He is nothing to you; He will never go into partnership as a part Savior of men. If He is something, He must be everything, and if He be not everything, he is nothing to you.”  Charles Spurgeon

6. Proof of salvation - four quotes from John MacArthur.  

   1. "The proof of conversion is not a past event, or a past prayer, or past experience. It’s a present righteousness. Ah, it’s not perfection, but it’s direction."

   2. "It’s what you do with the Jesus’ words that gives evidence of your spiritual condition. ... What is the evidence of true conversion? What is the evidence of true repentance?  It is a life of obedience, submission to the lordship of Christ. It’s not a profession. It’s not empty words. It’s obedience. ..."

   3. "If you love the truth and you love to obey the truth, even though you fall short, those are the evidences of true conversion."  From this John MacArthur’s sermon  

   4. "So you want to be a follower of Jesus, do you? Well say farewell to yourself, pick up your cross and proceed to do everything He asks you to do. Those are the terms. And aren't you glad we live in those terms under grace? Because we fail. But the very desire to do those things is the evidence of a transformed soul."

   5. Which John MacArthur quote spoke to you the most?

(F) Conclusion 

1. "Mark 8:34 is Jesus' "Invitation to self denial, cross bearing, and obedience." John MacArthur
2. "The definition of a true disciple may be understood in four terms: the disciple must have desire-If anyone wishes to come after Me (9:23b), must practice denial-he must deny himself (9:23c), must show dedication-and take up his cross (an act of submission) daily (9:23d), and must accept direction-and follow Me (9:23e). The basic requirement of a disciple is to “follow Jesus.”  Moody on the parallel passage Luke 9:23
3. We will never consistently live 100% committed lives. We all sin. BUT is Mark 8:34 the desire of our hearts? Is it what we are 'working hard' to do more and more? Is it the focus of our lives?
4. So you'll never forget to do Mark 8:34 and to help others to be set free by doing Mark 8:34 memorize it for life right now using the three memorizing keys in "How to "Memorize for Life".
5. This week daily review, meditate and pray over Mark 8:34. Ask Jesus to HELP YOU LIVE Mark 8:34.
6. Listen to the message "Losing Your Life to Save It" by John MacArthur (can watch or listen or read it)
7. Jesus teaches in Mark 8:34 that to follow him one must give up self-centered desires even to the point of suffering so that you can fully follow and serve Jesus. This is what it means to make Jesus your Lord. 
   1. Each of these 12 Keys to Follow & Serve Jesus will help you to follow and serve Jesus.

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