Saturday, November 13, 2010

November 13, 2010

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

Jesus offers an insightful observation about discipleship - "discipleship happens a day at a time".

A disciple must decide everyday to follow Jesus!

Yesterday's decision won't help me today! You followed Jesus a day ago? Good for you, but what about today? Who will you follow this day?

Discipleship is a choice and what you chose yesterday is history. What will your choice be today? 

If you choose not to follow today then you are not a disciple, you are a self-willed rebel.

Every day for 39 days in the wilderness Jesus had to decide if He would remain obey to His Father's will. Jesus faced some tempting choices on the 40th when Satan offered Him some short-term relief and shortcuts from suffering. Then again, at the end of His ministry He had to choose again if He would follow God's will to the cross or choose to spare Himself the suffering.

A disciple must deny himself everyday!

Discipleship is a commitment. I doesn't really matter that you committed to denying yourself yesterday. What will you do today? Will you commit to your comfort and submit to your desires or will you deny yourself to do His will?

Every selfish desire that conflicts with the will of God must be denied every day on a day by day basis.

Discipleship is a daily decision and a daily denial and thirdly, discipleship is a daily death! There is a daily cost!

So, you died to your selfishness yesterday? Nice! But what about today?

When Jesus says to "pick up your cross" He is not talking about your jewelry. Putting on a cross necklace is not what He has in mind!

The cross represented death. When a person was nailed to a cross he never got off alive. But those who were crucified in those days went to the cross against their will. No one volunteered to be nailed to a cross. BUT disciples do! Every day!

To be a disciple of Jesus, you will need to daily nail your selfish sinful flesh to the cross and put it to death so you will be free to follow Jesus. And then do it again tomorrow.

Discipleship is a daily deal!

Disciples daily decide to follow. Disciples daily deny themselves. Disciples daily die to sin.

Will you decide to follow Jesus today?

Will you deny yourself today?

Will you die to sin today?