(Clip) Deny Yourself
Self-denial is the pursuit of satisfaction in God, renouncing lesser goods for a greater good, and it is a necessary daily practice for Christians.
This sermon emphasizes the call for self-denial in pursuing satisfaction in God, highlighting the need to deny oneself, take up the cross, and follow Jesus to find true life. It explores the concept that self-denial is not to limit pleasure in God but to prevent seeking pleasure elsewhere, combating the corruption of the human heart. The message stresses the ongoing necessity of self-denial to avoid being consumed by worldly pleasures and to embrace Christian joy through renouncing lesser goods for greater ones.
Full Transcript
The call for self-denial teaches the pursuit of satisfaction in God. Mark 8, 34, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it.
But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's, will save it. What does it profit a man if he gained the whole world and forfeited his soul? The reason we have to take up our cross and deny ourselves is not because we're liable to have too much pleasure in God. So a little bit of suffering thrown in.
The reason we have to take up our cross and deny ourselves is because we are so liable to find our pleasures elsewhere. Now I've been a Christian for 64 years and every day I must deny myself, my bent to seek pleasure elsewhere. The corruption of the human heart does not need a conversion story out of drugs.
It just needs to look in the mirror at age 70. Where would we be without self-denial? In love with the world, that's where we'd be. Suicidal pleasures, that's where we'd be.
And you will never outgrow the need for that command. Die Christian every day. Put to death what is earthly in you.
And don't think you've given up Christian hedonism. It is all about joy. It's all about, oh more of you, more of you, more of that.
I'm not gonna be killed by that. It's about self-denial. A writer, a novelist, described the connection between self-denial and the quest for joy as this.
Always you renounce a lesser good for a greater. The opposite is what sin is. Picture me with my ground teeth stalking joy, fully armed, for it is a highly dangerous quest.
Oh, is it ever. It may cost you what, it may cost you everything in this world. Whoever loves his life loses it.
Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If someone offers you 80 years of pleasure in this world, then eternal misery, you better hate your life. You're a fool.
Sermon Outline
- The Call for Self-Denial
- The Reason for Self-Denial
- The Connection between Self-Denial and Joy
- The Cost of Self-Denial
- Potential loss of worldly pleasures
- Potential gain of eternal life
Key Quotes
“Always you renounce a lesser good for a greater.” — John Piper
“Whoever loves his life loses it. Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” — John Piper
“If someone offers you 80 years of pleasure in this world, then eternal misery, you better hate your life. You're a fool.” — John Piper
Application Points
- We must deny ourselves daily, renouncing our tendency to find pleasure elsewhere and seeking satisfaction in God.
- Self-denial is not about giving up Christian hedonism, but about seeking true joy in God.
- The cost of self-denial may be the loss of worldly pleasures, but it leads to the gain of eternal life.