Go ahead,pick it up
(Road Repair continued)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
As we continue to look for ways to clear debris out of the road between God and us, today we will look at an oft-unconsidered obstacle – the cross. No, not “The Cross”, your cross, my cross.
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark.8:34-38)
His cross stands, or once stood, between you and salvation. If you are reading this, I hope you’ve already accepted the work of that cross, if not, may today be the day, and call or write me if I can help. But for believers, there is another cross, your cross, and it stands between you and discipleship. We don’t want to just accept Jesus, we are called to follow Him. But as we have seen all week, there is stuff, lots of stuff, which gets in the way. One of those things, a big one, a universal one facing all believers, is our own, personal cross. Thyis passage may be looked at in many ways, but for our purposes here, let us consider the following:
“If anyone would come after me…” First, is this the decision you’ve made? Are you willing to go after Him?
“…he must deny himself…” Are you willing to put aside everything you want for what He calls you to have?
“…and take up his cross and follow me.” This has more than one meaning.
Are you willing, am I willing, to bear the burdens of the Lord? 1 John 5:3-4 – “This is love for
God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born
of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our
faith.”
Are we willing to die for Him, spiritually? Romans 6:6 – “We know that the old self was
crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing.”
And, are we willing to die for Him? Hebrews 13:6 - So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
God’s call holds different details for each person who responds; but it always shares this: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
I cannot tell you what your cross is. But I can tell you that you have one.
Get it out of the road.
Pick it up.
Follow.
Lord willing, see you tomorrow, Pastor Jim
P.S. If you need a starting place for spiritual discipline, consider the following: Starting today, and then first thing tomorrow morning, I challenge you to listen to God, with this five-minute exercise:
1) Do this as soon as you wake up. Set your clock a few minutes early if that is what you need to get up ahead of the household noise. Lay your Bible by your bed as a reminder. 2) Go to the quietest place in your house, outside, your kitchen, your bathroom...wherever. 3) Pray for 1 minute that God would speak to you. Audibly, out loud, ask Him to remove Satan from your presence for this time. Ask Him to remove distractions and mental clutter. During this time, do not ask Him for anything else, do not thank Him for anything else, do not pray for anyone else (but please find another prayer time for all these things). 4) Open your Bible and read for 2 minutes. This is God talking to you through His Word. Listen to Him. 5) Close your Bible and be silent for 3 minutes. Listen for Him. He may come as a thought, a nudge, an idea. For a while, He may seem hard to hear. There is so much clutter in our minds! Keep listening.
This may seem difficult. You will hear every creaking tree branch. You will hear every barking dog. But like Elijah's time in the cave, God is not in the tree branch, God is not in the dog. Persevere. Listen for the gentle whisper.
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