Determined to Live Crucified

Each day at the preschool the classes must line up to go to class, the rest room, playground, or anywhere outside the classroom. Every child gets a chance to be the line leader – a high honor in the preschool world. Sometimes the children will fuss or push another child out of the way so that he/she can be the leader.

It seems like all kids like to be the leader and almost nobody wants to be in the line that follows. Following is the 2nd or 3rd position. Following admits that someone else is the leader. In a very scientific survey of a single preschooler, my granddaughter, I asked her if she like to be the leader or the follower. Her response was, “The leader”. When asked why, he respond was “a-cuz”. There you have it!

Christians are called to be the followers of Jesus. On the surface, that seems easy, but is it? Following might seem easy if “following” doesn’t continue go beyond meaning that we believe in Jesus. But what happens when following Jesus demands sacrifice? What happens when we are called to “carry the Cross” or be “crucified with Him”?

Following The Example of Christ

We just celebrated Easter last week. He is risen – which is a great reason to recognize that Jesus is worthy to be followed. What Jesus did for us was wonderfully amazing! One of the amazing aspects of His sacrifice was His determination.

Mark 15:27–32 NIV

They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

This, of course, is the description of Jesus on Golgotha. God, made man, rejected by man, and on a cross being tortured to death. Insulted, mocked, and challenged to defend Himself. Wouldn’t it be enough if Jesus simply removed Himself from the Cross to silence them? Maybe throw in a removal of the Roman occupation and set Himself up as king?

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t do anything to change the hearts of the people there or all of us 2 millennia removed from that day. Jesus was determined to stay on the Cross, He refused the temptation to remove Himself from it.

Jesus was the Lamb slain, there is no other, but we are called as followers of Jesus to be determined as well. Let’s spend a few minutes this morning considering the cost of following Jesus.

Following Jesus Is Not for Cowards

Following is not easy (ask any preschooler). A follower of Christ is not simply believing that Jesus is real, but it demands obedience. Good preschool teachers have children in lines because it provides security, accountability, and a measure of teamwork. Christian followers have their eyes fixed on the leader because very little can be taken for granted in this world.

What does it mean to follow? These words applied to the disciples and to all who would become disciples and enter his fellowship. Recognizing and confessing belief in Jesus as the Messiah is only the beginning of discipleship. Following Jesus doesn’t mean walking behind him but taking the same road of self-denial and self-sacrifice. Because Jesus walks ahead, he provides an example and stands with his followers as encourager, guide, and friend.[1]

The Bible offers some insight into the life of a follower of Christ.

Followers Are Crucified with Christ

Our first example comes from the writings of Paul to the Galatians:

Galatians 2:19–21 NIV

“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Paul sums up what the life of the Christian should be. In just a few words it tells us that Christianity should be:\

· A Dead Life – Salvation means that our focus is no longer on ourselves. Self is dead. Christ lives.

· A Dual Life - Death doesn’t stay dead for the believer. There is always a resurrection. The old man was crucified with Christ. It is dead but the new man is resurrected and now Christ lives in me.

· A Living Life - the focus of Christianity is, not dying, but living.

· A Faith Life – Living a dead life, a dual life, a living life all lead to a faith life. We are overcomers!

Certainly, there are other verses, even books of the Bible that helps us understand how to answer the question, “What is a Christian”, but here it is in one verse – profound, succinct, and powerfully expressed. In this verse we see the powerful work of Christ on the Cross, His resurrection, and the ongoing activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

This isn’t just conceptual. This is who we are in Christ! This helps answer the question of what it means to be a Christian. In her book It Only Hurts When I Laugh, Ethel Barrett tells how four outstanding servants of God died to self and sin.

“One day, George Mueller died.”

-George Mueller, when questioned about his spiritual power

“There is a great difference between realizing, ‘On that Cross He was crucified for me,’ and ‘On that Cross I am crucified with Him.’ The one aspect brings us deliverance from sin’s condemnation, the other from sin’s power.”

-John Gregory Mantle

“When God calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Recognizing that we “have been crucified with Christ”, we should consider ourselves “to be dead indeed to sin.” Victorious Christians are those who have died—to live![2]

Followers Willingly Carry the Cross

Let’s turn to another example. This time, we will find the words of Jesus Himself in Luke:

Luke 9:23–26 NIV

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Disciples “take up their cross daily and follow”. Followers of Christ are called to be dead to sin like selfishness, willfulness, and pride.

Discipleship begins with an unconditional commitment to Jesus Christ and with the acceptance of a sentence of death. - R. K. Strachan[3]

There is a story written by a preacher in the Philippine Islands…

One day he was passing a large church on Good Friday when he spotted many selling incense, candles, veils, and rosaries. He also saw several small boys who were running about selling crosses. He heard them calling, “Crosses, cheap crosses for sale! Buy a cheap cross!” I am afraid too often we want a cheap cross- a faith that is easy, that is all sweetness and light, one that makes no demands on our time or money or service. The cross of Christ was no cheap cross. Jesus gave up his throne in glory to come and live in this world of sin. He gave His life on a literal cross to ransom us from our sins.

Jesus didn’t talk about cheap crosses.

Be a Brave Follower

Choose to Be Obedient to the Principles of the Bible Instead of the Counterfeit of this World.

The Bible offers guidance in every aspect of our lives. It guides our marriages, finances, law, parenting, ethics (work), health, and priorities.

Make Jesus Your Hero

Don’t fall for false messiahs! No president, regardless of political party, can save our nation. Only Jesus can. “We the People” can measure our school boards, justices, congressmen, senators, and presidents against Biblical principles.

Train Yourself to Listen to the Voice of the Spirit Instead of Self Talk

Learning to hear the Voice of the Spirit pays big dividends in our marriages, in our parenting, in our leadership (yes, secular), evangelism, and more! What is the Spirit telling you about your husband or wife? Is there a conviction about the way you speak to him/her? Your kids?

What advice is the Holy Spirit offering in your relationships.

Dying to self means that you are making the voice of the Spirit your priority, not your own thinking.

After helping new Christians understand who Jesus was and what He did, Paul makes a transition into practical living in Romans 12:1-2:

Romans 12:1–2 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

His follow-up to this statement includes humble service, loving in action, submission to authorities, the stronger Christian preferring the weaker, and more. These all demand self-sacrifice. These are the expectations of the follower of Christ.

Soldiers of Christ are Followers

How do I encourage you to be crucified with Christ or to take up your Cross and follow Jesus? These things are hard and not natural. They are supernatural through spiritual strength.

Amy Carmichael was an Irish missionary to orphans in India. She suffered much — and bore much eternal fruit. Back in the 1920s, Amy rescued hundreds of orphaned children — especially little girls that would be dedicated to Hindu gods for use in sexual temple rituals.

By God’s wonderful grace, some had miraculously escaped from such pagan slavery and were led to the Irish “mother” who lovingly cared for each child God sent her. In 1931 she prayed, “God, please do with me whatever you want. Do anything that will help me to serve you better.”

That same day, she fell, suffering fractures that would cripple her for the rest of her life. Not one to be discouraged or bitter when faced with pain or persecution, Amy now had the opportunity to demonstrate God’s faithfulness before a much larger “host” of witnesses.

While her growing children had continual freedom to enter her bedroom and share their hearts with their beloved “mother,” she now had the quiet times that allowed her to write books, poems, and letters that were translated and shared around the world.

Hast Thou No Scar?

Hast thou no scar?

No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?

I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,

I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,

Hast thou no scar?

The poem begins by asking if you have a scar? Sarcastically Carmichael says in essence, “They say you are a rising star”. Where is your scar?

Hast thou no wound?

Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,

Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent

By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned

Hast thou no wound?

The 2nd stanza shows her wounded, left to die, and broken. She has scars.

No wound? no scar?

Yet, as the Master shall the servant be

And pierced are the feet that follow Me;

But thine are whole: can he have followed far

Who has no wound nor scar?

Source: Amy Carmichael, “No Scar?” in Towards Jerusalem, 85.[4]

In the final stanza argues, the servant should be like the Master – scarred. If you’ve followed Him, how can you have no scar?

As followers we are called to be crucified with Christ, Cross bearers, this means we will be scarred.

Philippians 1:29 NIV

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,

[1]Bruce B. Barton et al., Luke, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1997), 245. [2] R W De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) (Bolding added) [3]John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018). [4]John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).

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