1. the great contradiction

2. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH The Great Contradiction  The world usually sees contradiction as an area of weakness, yet in the Bible there is an immense amount of depth found in the texts that seem to contradict each other

3. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH The Great Contradiction  One of the greatest apparent contradictions found in the Bible, is that as believers we are expected to deny our life, yet live our life to the fullest

4. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Mathew 16:24-25 Matt. 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

5. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Following Christ, part 1  This is a message for all Matt. 10:38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Denying yourself, picking up your cross and following Christ is a requirement for discipleship

6. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Denying oneself  Peter’s Desire vs. Jesus’ Desire Peter’s Desire: Jesus spare His life Peter’s Desire: Jesus spare His life Jesus’ Desire: All deny their life Jesus’ Desire: All deny their life Matt. 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” … 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

7. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Denying oneself  Denying self is different than self-denial Self-denial is momentary choices to not seek pleasure Self-denial is momentary choices to not seek pleasure Denying self is yielding your entire life to Christ Denying self is yielding your entire life to Christ Eph. 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

8. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Denying oneself  First and foremost, discipleship means putting your desire behind God’s

9. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Taking up your cross  The cross meant brutal death Phil. 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!  Above all, the cross was Christ’s mission - it is what he came to earth to do

10. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Taking up your cross  As disciples, we must also be willing to pick up our own cross  Like Christ, following our mission will create pain & persecution

11. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Taking up your cross 1Pet. 4:12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

12. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Taking up your cross  The cross is not an evil we bear, but something we use Col. 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

13. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Taking up your cross  Luke adds that we must carry our crosses daily Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me It is something we never escape It is something we never escape It isn’t great moments of sacrifice, but rather a life lived in a constant hourly sacrifice to God It isn’t great moments of sacrifice, but rather a life lived in a constant hourly sacrifice to God

14. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Taking up your cross  We must pick up our crosses, while not attempting to take the crosses of others 1Cor. 12:14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 … But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

15. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH Following Christ, part 2  We are right back to where we started  Christ desires obedience from his disciples

16. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH The Conclusion  This is the longest recorded break Christ takes from teaching Matt. 17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. Luke 9:28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.

17. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH The Conclusion  We all need time to think about this, to process what it means to be a follower of Christ  You don’t get life before you get death, but the life you get after death is a life of fulfillment

18. EMMANUEL COMMUNITY CHURCH In one phrase… It’s not about you

19. the great contradiction

20. the great contradiction