The Cost of Discipleship

“Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let  them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will loose it, and those who loose their life for my sake will save it.”  (Luke 9: 23-24)

With great delight and joy, we welcome you and congratulate you for being among the blessed ones counted worthy to witness the last Sunday in the year 2014.  Definitely, it has been God all the way, may our lives reflect divine wonders as we journey into 2015.  Year changes and so do seasons but God remains the same yesterday, today and forever.  God remains our Lord, leader and King while we as His children remain His followers.  Our status is simply His disciples and this has lots of responsibilities that go with it.  But basically, it involves a process which includes denying oneself, taking up ones cross and following the master.  Even though the year 2014 remains few days before it ends, these responsibilities do not change.

Denying self requires us to give up anything that we would want or seek that would hinder our doing the will of God.  This is called dying to self.  This does not mean that, our wants are necessarily wrong, but it means that we must place our will at the feet of Jesus and make His will the governing power in our lives.  There is room for only one master in each person’s life (Matt. 6: 19-24).  If God is to rule in our lives, then our will must be made subservient to His.  We must be willing to give up anything in life in order to please Him.

The second thing is carrying the cross.  This has been mis-interpreted by many over the years as bearing burdens and suffering hardships for the Lord only.  Surely hardships at times are included in the process, but there is a fuller meaning if we consider the context of our text today.  What is a cross for?  It was not just a burden to be borne.  Far more than that, it was an instrument of death and total sacrifice.  It is true that Jesus said we should take up our cross and follow Him.  But where was He going with His cross?  He had just said He was going to die.  But in the next verse, Jesus said we must give our lives for Him.

And then asked what good our lives would be to us, if we are unacceptable at the judgment.  Hence, “taking up our cross” refers to giving our whole life to God, as Jesus gave His life for us.  This is deeper than bearing burdens only.  It is a total dedication of one’s life.  Our whole life is given to His service in anything He says.  This will lead us to willingly deny self.

As God’s children, there is a sense in which we must give our lives to God every day.  This is not necessarily a physical death as Jesus died for us (though such might be required), but a daily total sacrifice of self to do the will of Jesus.  Whatever He wants with my life is what must be done with it.  What we want no longer matters, the determination to give our lives to God’s service is called “repentance.”  In repenting, we determine to turn away from our own will and live our lives to please God.  We cannot be saved without this, and that is why repentance is so important in salvation.

The final point is following the Master and this mindset helps us understand Jesus’ point of self denial, verse 4 reveals the danger of not following the Master whatever the situation may be.  Anyone who holds his life so dear to himself that he wants to use it to please himself or do his own will and accomplish his own purposes, rather than denying self and serving God, will in the end loose his life eternally.  Our Master lived a life of self denial and as His disciples, we must follow His example.  We must live lives of complete and total submission to the will of God even as we prepare to embark on the journey to a new year.

Did you loose the battle over self in any manner this year?  Is there anything hindering you from doing the will of God?  We have the opportunity to surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ today as He strengthens us to overcome every challenge or hindrance in the coming year and grant us victory over flesh, the world and the devil.  It is well with you.

Have a wonderful week as you serve the Lord without counting the cost.

Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon

S. Igein Isemede