Deny Self and Follow Jesus

We continue today to look at values that mark a disciple’s life. Last week we looked at the values of loving God and others. Today we look at denying self & following Jesus. These are two more values that must mark the disciple’s life.  As we look at these today, I want us to think about the cross that Jesus bore.

Think about His passion throughout His life, as He went down the Via Dolarosa and up to Calvary. Think about His sacrifice and the costly price He paid. Think about His unwavering obedience to the Father as He went to the cross and bore our sin and God’s wrath for us.

Does what marked the life of Jesus and His journey to the cross mark my life as a disciple?

The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4.11: "For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh". Paul captured God’s desire for his life in making Christ’s life and death a reality to the world through being displayed in and through his own life. This is God’s desire for the church. John Piper says, "God means to fill the universe with the glory of His Son by putting the church on display as the embodiment of His Son". We namely do this by the two values that we will talk about today – denying self and following Jesus.