Loosing to Gain

I want you to turn in your Bibles with me here to Luke chapter 9, Luke chapter 9 in your Bibles. And we're going to this next message. We've been dealing with the importance of water baptism, but we haven't just stayed with the outward ritual of it, the ceremony, the words, the event of being baptized in water.

We haven't stayed there. We have gone in, we've taken a deep dive into the true meaning, the biblical teaching and doctrine, or should I say the experiential outliving of your water baptism. This teaching isn't only for the nine that got water baptized a couple of weeks ago, but this entire teaching is for every member of this body, every born again Christian, those who have met Jesus Christ, because it is so remarkable and so dynamic.

My message here this morning, losing to gain, that's a strange title. Let me say it again, losing to gain. You say that's strange to have an award or baptism sermon series.

Yes, it is. But you're going to see here as we consider what we've already taught. And as we look at scriptures, you're going to see that this title losing to gain embodies what your water baptism represented.

Reading from Luke chapter nine, Luke chapter nine, verse 23, and this is Christ speaking, and he said unto them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. But whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Let's pray together. Father, we love you. We praise you.

We bless you. Thank you for the word of God. Thank you for the real Holy Spirit who indwells us, who guides us, who speaks to us, who leads us.

He's so real in our midst, O God, even keeping us and preserving us. And Father, we pray. Lord God, let the word of God come with power.

Lord God, not with the eloquence of speech, not with man's ability or confidence. But O God, we ask that the Holy Spirit would bear witness unto the words of Jesus. Lord God, you can save here.

You can set at liberty. You can call men. You can change hearts.

Lord God, we bow the knee to you because we know how real you are. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we worship you. We adore you.

We bless you. We need you here this morning. And we thank you, O God, that you three in one, one in three, Lord God, you're mightily at work in hearts and lives here in our midst for your glory and your praise in Jesus' mighty name.

Amen. In part eight of this series, Losing to Gain, we have now dealt for a few weeks with the three symbolic meanings of water baptism and what they mean doctrinally. What does that mean when a person is baptized in water? What does this symbol of being placed down into the water, plunged, immersed, baptized, and then raised again up out of that water, why do we do such a symbol? Because it represents biblical teachings and doctrines of the Bible.

It represents Christ, his death, burial, resurrection. But it also represents what happens in the new birth, the born again experience with any individual. But more than that, it represents our entire Christian life.

It represents that we are baptized into the death of Jesus. And we already saw how our old man, our selfish nature, the old Adam, has been crucified with Christ. He died on the first day when we're born again.

Your old life died, was crucified with Jesus Christ. Then we've seen it represents being baptized into his burial. That's the putting away of that old life.

That's the burial. That is the putting out of sight. That is the casting off of the old man.

And then thirdly, we briefly looked at was to be baptized into his resurrection. In other words, you live a new life. You become a new person.

You start over. You have new desires, new thoughts. You have new speech.

You have new actions, new attitudes. It's amazing when a man or woman is born again. Every single meeting as I stand here and preach, I have the wonderful blessing.

I smile inwardly even if I don't do it outwardly. When I look at the faces, the testimonies in this room, some preserved in youth and yet they got born again. Others in latter years, drugs, immorality, alcohol addiction, saved out of that.

Some out of suicide, new age, atheism, you name it. It's sitting here. Why are we all here praising God, breaking bread, rejoicing in him this morning, praying in the name of Jesus? It's because of the supernatural work of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Christ.

It is an experience. It is a living reality. And so my message this morning in the light of this, losing to gain.

Remember where we were in Romans chapter 6 and verse 3. Listen. Know ye not that so many of us as we're baptized into Jesus Christ, we're baptized into his death. Therefore, we are buried with him in baptism into death.

That, in other words, because of the death and the burial, that we also should walk in newness of life. Why is there a death? Why is there a burial? So that we may walk in newness of life. In other words, it's a whole life.

Why this event of being crucified with Christ? Why is it when you get born again, it's such a violent experience, that old man dies? It's because Christ is raising up a new creature to walk in newness of life. Not a profession, not a one-off experience. This is a walk.

It's a lifetime of walking with Jesus Christ. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. The apostle Paul is preaching here and saying, if you've experienced the death of Christ, the crucifixion of that old man, of laying down your own desire, ambitions, will, plans, everything of that, your lusts of the flesh, when you go to death and are crucified with Christ, it's so that you may experience the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is an experience for the real Christian of the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus Christ. You don't have the power to live this Christian life. I love what Brother Clendenin said so many times over the years.

He said, the Christian life isn't hard. And I always love that when I repeat him and quote him. I love to pause there because you see all the faces look at you.

The Christian life isn't hard. It's impossible. That's what the Christian life is.

It's not just hard or a struggle. It's radically impossible. You cannot live as a Christian unless you experience a death and a resurrection.

Unless you have resurrection power, you will never ever be able to live this life. You may try to, you may wrestle to, but you won't be able to unless you discover this resurrection power of the living God. I invite you here this morning to see there's a reason why we should willingly go the way of death.

Embrace our death of the old man and the work of the cross to kill and modify the flesh. You know why? Because if we do, we will experience the power, the resurrection, and the life of Christ. I'm going to quote some verses to you to show this isn't a one-off verse.

This is all through the entire New Testament. Christ, Paul, the apostles all taught this. The early church lived it out.

This principle that the way of death leads to life. Out here in this world, and you were taught from children, you keep yourself. You preserve yourself.

You want your own way. You think about yourself. It's all me, me, me.

It's all I, I, I. You think about your own ambitions, your own way, getting your own way. That's what this world is. It is a terrible thing, but the real way of a born-again Christian is the opposite of that.

He knows the way, the pathway of death leads to life eternal. It's an amazing thing. Listen to what else Jesus said in John 12, 24.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. Now, look at that. A corn of wheat preserved, kept pristine, looking its best, got its best coat on, shining in the daylight.

Do you know what? Really, there's death there. Unless it falls into the ground and dies away from sight, as soon as it falls into the ground, a whole process begins, but not until it falls into the ground. You can hold a seed for a hundred years and nothing will happen to it.

They have seeds in museums that have been there 2,000 years and they took them out, planted them, and those seeds begin to grow. They were in the tombs in ancient Egypt and they can bring that seed out. It's intact.

It still looks exactly as it was at the beginning. It hasn't changed at all, but there's no life there. Nothing has been produced from that.

Do you know what you have to do? You have to take that seed. It has to fall into the ground and then a process of death has to take place. You know what happens when it does? Life breaks out.

Jesus said, speaking of you and I, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die. Do you see how death is the pathway to life? And die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

And listen to what Jesus said after that. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life. So, Jesus is talking about this principle of the seed.

Look at nature. Not one seed in our entire world produces anything unless it goes into death. God created all things.

God created nature. God created all the plants, the trees, the fruit, the flowers, everything. And you know what? The whole principle of our entire universe, our entire world, of nature itself, no seed will accomplish anything unless it goes into death.

All of nature is screaming at us this morning saying, go into the way of death. Death is a thing to be embraced. Death to yourself is the thing to be followed after.

That's where the life is. That's where the joy is. That's where the anointing is.

That's where the blessing is. Keep your stinking life. Nothing will come out of it.

And so, Jesus says, he that loveth his life shall lose it. Keep your life. Make your own decisions.

Choose your own path. Do what you want to do. Enjoy the sins that you desire.

Do it all. Keep it all. Have it all.

I did it my way. Go and do it all. You preserve your life.

But see at the end of it, you will lose it. Jesus is concrete. If you love your life, you're going to lose it.

But listen, he said, but if you hate your life, it's not talking about self-hate in some strange way. It's saying, hate in the flesh, hate and selfishness, ambition, anger, unforgiveness, jealousy. If you hate that old life, that life of disobedience, then he says, you'll keep it.

Do you see how God's kingdom is back to front compared to this world? Then it says in Matthew 10, 39, he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. In Luke 17, 33, he says, whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. So look, he says, if you lose your life, see why I titled it this, losing to gain.

If you lose your life, Jesus teaches, you will keep it. You will find it. You will preserve it.

If you lose your life, if you become like that corn of wheat and fall into the ground, if you allow that death process of the cross to work in your life, your actions, your words, your family, your job in this church, if we allow death to really work, death to who you are, death to your ways and your traits and your personality and your ambitions and your desires, we allow that. You know what? Jesus is saying, you'll keep it. You'll find it.

You'll preserve it. This is real life. There's life.

But see, most people won't let go of their own life. So they never experienced the life of Christ, the resurrection life of Christ, a manifestation of Jesus living in them. They never come to enjoy this because they hold onto that old nature.

Or listen to what else Paul writes in Philippians 3 and 10. He's saying as a mature preacher that I might know him, Jesus. You'd think he had known him by now, wouldn't you? See, there's a prayer of a mature apostle.

Oh, that I might know him. And listen, the power of his resurrection. Paul's already born again.

He's a preacher. But here he is as a mature preacher and leader. He said, I want to know him, Jesus.

I want to know the power of his resurrection in my life and the fellowship of his suffering. So how do you get there? Paul, as a mature preacher, how do you get to know Christ, know the power of his resurrection and enter into his sufferings, which means to do the will of God? Listen to what he says, being made conformable unto his death. You want to know the power of his resurrection.

You're going to have to be made conformable, molded, changed, molded into the image of his death. You want power. You want the resurrection power of Christ.

This is the pathway. This is where you go. Then he says, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

He's talking now about the physical resurrection, the eternal resurrection from the dead. When Christ raises up the body and reunites it with the spirit, again, do you see that this pathway of being made conformable unto his death, molded into his death. See if Christ had been selfish, preserving his own life, doing his own well, you wouldn't be sitting here this morning.

The man, Christ Jesus, chose a way of suffering, the pathway to the cross for the joy that was set before him. He endured the cross. He didn't like the cross.

There was no joy in the cross. It was for the joy set before him. Do you know what he saw on the cross? He said he saw the travail of his soul.

He's in agony. He is in pain. He is dying.

He's doing the will of the father. He is laying down his life. Do you know what he saw? He saw the nation sprinkled with his own blood.

He saw multitudes in every generation getting born again. Do you see how death is the way to life? Do you want the anointing of God? Are you called to be a preacher? Do you want the power of God on you? Do you want the real anointing of the Holy Ghost? This is the way. Do you want to be a soul winner and lead people to Christ? This is the way.

Do you have a beautiful voice and want to impress everyone? Well, that's the wrong way. If you want to lead and worship before the throne of God, I tell you, this is the way. Do you want to make others worshippers of God or impress someone with your voice? You see how this works in every part of the church.

You see, I call this the upside down kingdom or let me say another way, the back to front kingdom. What is the kingdom of God? It is the reverse of everything you learn in university, in that school system, in society, on Facebook, most of what's on YouTube preached by preachers. It's utterly the opposite of what I'm preaching.

Why is that? Because I'm sticking to the text of scripture. That's why I'm out of step with most preachers, because I'm simply preaching, believing and practicing. Let me give you just a few examples.

Matthew chapter 19 verse 30. But many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first. You see how Jesus inverts it.

Then Luke 18 14. Everyone that exalts himself. Isn't that within your nature? I want to exalt myself, be heard, be noticed, promote myself.

Jesus said, everyone that exalts himself should be a beast and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. Or what about second Timothy chapter two and verse 11? It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, with Jesus, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with them.

If we deny him, he shall also deny us. Or what about John chapter 12 25? Jesus speaking again. He that loveth his life shall lose it.

And he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life. An old Puritan some hundreds of years ago wrote this poem. He was a man of the word of God.

So it's filled with scripture. Every line, every statement, listen carefully. This is the poem.

Lord high and holy, meek and lowly. See the contrast that the way down is the way up. That to be low is to be high.

That the broken heart is the healed heart. That the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit. That the repenting soul is the victorious soul.

That to have nothing is to possess all. That to bear the cross is to wear the crown. That to give is to receive.

Let me find thy light in my darkness. Thy life in my death. Thy joy in my sorrow.

Thy grace in my sin. Thy riches in my poverty. Thy glory in my humiliation.

This is the upside down kingdom. The back to front kingdom. Otherwise in the Bible called the kingdom of God.

It makes perfect sense to me. You push him to be first, the greatest, the best, the leader. I've got a message for you in this Bible.

It's all through the Gospels, but the church of this generation hasn't heard it. They have a Bible in their hands. They preach incessantly.

They sell their books. They're ministering constantly, but they're not living out the message of the kingdom of God. See your water baptism, death, burial, resurrection is embodied in this.

Your water baptism, you should have been warned. Someone should have told you before you got in the water. Do you know that this water testifies of your death? You want resurrection.

You want life. You want to be used. You want anointing.

You want power. You want to be known. You want to be used of God.

Death, a cross is the symbol of the church. I'm telling you, that cross stands at the doorway, the entrance of the gospel. It is a very, very real thing.

Jesus here in Luke chapter nine, where we first read, and he said unto them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. But whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

My message loosened again. Point one, basic Christianity. Just want to give you a few very simple statements.

I've already said a massive stuff just now. I've just given you the core, the heart of the gospel. But there's my first point, basic Christianity.

Look again at verse 23. And he, Jesus said unto them all, underline that word all. Basic Christianity.

Jesus said to them all, if any man, that's open. Why? That's anyone. That's everyone.

Will come after me. Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. I want you to see here, this call to deny yourself, to take up your cross isn't a special calling.

It's not a special work in mature leaders and preachers. No. It's not a special class of Christian in the local church who has gone further than the rest crucifying themselves.

Oh, I'm a spiritual saint. They're a carnal saint. Oh no.

The Bible says, and Jesus says here, he said this to them all. Guess what all means in the Greek? All. Profound learning here this morning.

The Greek word all means all. Any of you, all of you, none excluded. This call to deny yourself, yourself, take up your cross and to follow him is actually for you all.

You can't escape it this morning unless you want to reject Christ himself. You see, this basic Christianity is for all those who want to follow him. And he said unto them all, if any man will come after me.

He said, do you want me, Jesus? Do you want to be with me? Do you want to be my disciple? Do you want to be a Christian? Do you want to be associated with me? Do you want all of the blessings of association with me? Then he says, I've got a message for you. See lots of people want to follow Christ, but they don't consider what that means. Oh, I'm a follower of Christ.

Do you know what that means? Do you know what it entails? Do you know what it's going to cost you? Do you know the impact on your life? And so this is basic, simple Christianity. Previous to this, the verse before, this verse 23, and he said unto them all, look at the verse before verse 22. See he's talking to the apostles in the verse before saying, the son of man must suffer many things, be rejected of the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be slain and be raised the third day.

This is Christ speaking to the apostles, the disciples. You know what he's saying? I'm going to die. I'm not teaching you.

This is about to happen to me. They're going to take me. I'm going to suffer.

I'm going to be nailed to a cross. I'm going to be slain. And then I'm going to be raised again.

He's given them the message. But in verse 23, he said to them all, he talked about his own death only to his apostles. At this point later, he'll reveal to everyone.

But at this point, he's only telling those closest to him. But then he stands back for a moment and he says to all the crowd, all those within hearing of his voice, he actually preaches a call. Do you see the connection of his being slain and raised again? He then gives a call to every man.

They may not understand it all, but he's given a call to every single man. You know, Christ speaks to sinners who don't even believe in him. Atheists, evolutionists, agnostics, Muslims, Hindus, whoever.

There's a real work of Christ. And he says, he said unto him, if any man will come after me, Christ does speak to the anybody, the everybody, the all. You see, he knows how to get life.

See, there's a message for every sinner in this high street in Limerick. All those trying to commit suicide, all those bound on drugs and drink. There's a message here.

There's actually, this is the way to life, but they don't understand it. They actually don't fully hear what's in it. But here is Christ with his message.

And he said, if any man will come after me, if any man. And so we see this call to self-denial, taking up your cross is a simple call to all of you. There is no Christian without this.

Don't tell me you're following Christ and this isn't a part of your life. That's radically impossible. The call is to everyone who wants to follow Christ.

Secondly, following Christ. Told you it's going to be very simple here this morning. Basic Christianity, following Christ.

Again, look at verse 23. And he said unto him, if any man will come after me. Notice it's not a system or a church or a type of teaching.

I've got problems with people who define the Christian message in doctrinal terms that are limited or restricted. We are not following a set of doctrines and I preach doctrine every single message. I emphasize doctrine.

You don't have Christ without doctrine, but don't think that having doctrine means you have the person. Christ said, if any man, if any of you will follow after me, follow a person. Saints of God, can I urge you? Follow a real living person who died on the cross, who was raised again the third day.

Follow Jesus. That's where the power is. That's where the doctrine is.

That's where the truth is. And so Christ is dealing here. He says, follow after me.

Do any of you desire me? Churchianity won't take you to life. Mere points of creeds, doctrines and ceremonies will not lead to life. You having an orthodox water baptism will not lead you into this.

Are you following the Lord Jesus Christ? Then you'll obey his word and say, I need to get baptized in water. You will actually follow him. Follow the person.

Your doctrine is going to be very broad. Follow the person. You're going to be led to death, burial, resurrection.

And so Jesus here says, if any man will follow after me, the word to follow after, this is what it means to be in the same way with him or the way that he is in. You walk exactly the same way. To follow after him means you're behind him.

Where he walks, you walk. You're following him. You're not choosing your own pathway.

You're not making your own direction. What does it mean to follow Christ? Wherever you go, I'm following you. Wherever you lead me, wherever you take me, that's where I'm going.

If it means the cross, I'll embrace it. You know why? If you're merely trying to embrace the cross, death to self, holiness, you won't do this. You will not do this.

You won't answer the call to the cross or to deny yourself or to die to self or to walk holy or to rebuke yourself. You won't do that if you're following a doctrine or a church or a preacher or a system. But see, if you're following a person, you're going to communicate with him.

You'll say, let's go this way. Are you sure, master? Yes. Can I trust you? Yes.

I'll carry you through. But I don't have the power. That's okay.

I'll provide it. Follow Jesus. Saints of God, we have lost the man Christ Jesus.

My Christianity is a person. It's an experience of a person. It's a love relationship with Jesus Christ.

And so his call, first of all, is if any man will come after me, then there is instructions. If any man will come after me, it says in Luke 9 and 57, if I can just find it here. And it came to pass as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Man, brilliant. Wherever you go, I'm going. And not a statement.

Oh, don't say amen too quickly, brother. You may have got yourself into something just there. Then it says, it's then it says this.

And Jesus said unto him, foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. Oh, I didn't realize you meant that. And then he said unto another, follow me.

But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, let the dead bury the dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And he said also unto another, or sorry, another also said, Lord, I will follow they also, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

And Jesus said unto him, no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Listen, many say they want to follow Christ. They don't know what they're saying.

They don't know the cost. They don't even know what he means. Come follow me.

Yes, I'll do that. But then he starts teaching, dealing with things in your life. Now it gets painful.

Now he's going to mess with every area of your life. There's those who say, I want to follow Jesus, but don't tell me what to do. I want to live my own life.

I want to go where I want to go. Then you're not following Christ. See to follow him means to walk closely behind them in the same way.

And so many say, I'm a follower of Christ. I want to follow him. If you follow him, you're going to find he leads you certain places.

He'll set you an example. He'll lead you into certain situations. Now we're going to find out if you want to follow him.

He'll actually open up and reveal certain doctrines, certain teachings. Oh, no one warned me about this. I didn't know I'd have to face this.

Do you want to follow Jesus? Third of all, denying yourself. Basic Christianity. This is basic Christianity.

This is following Christ. I want to follow Christ. Then let's look at what it means.

Third of all, denying yourself. What does it say in Luke 9, 23? And he said unto them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself. Do you want to follow Christ? This is what it means to deny yourself.

You actually cannot follow Christ unless you deny yourself. Self is the enemy of following Jesus Christ. You may not realize how dangerous self is.

Oh, but I want, that's it. Oh, but I think, that's it. Oh, but I feel, that's exactly what he means.

Do you realize you can't even follow Christ? You can't deny him. You can't take up your cross unless you deal with this. Denying yourself.

You're going to find, as you follow Christ, you're going to find a thing called yourself. It's going to become more and more blatant and obvious. It's going to get right in your face because the instructions of Jesus, the commands, the example.

No, let me say it this way. The entire message of water baptism, your death, your crucifixion, your burial, your resurrection is going to have a head on collision with yourself. And so Jesus says, this is for you all.

If any man will follow me, let him deny himself. This word denied, listen to what it means. Means to, and this is profound Greek.

I don't want you to look, you won't find this anywhere else. What does it mean to deny yourself? The word deny means to say no. I'm talking Greek scholarship.

You encounter yourself. What does it mean to deny yourself? Say no. Have you ever seen a couple, a family, the husband, the wife, they never say no to that little brat.

And we're not cutting that out this morning. Okay. I'll go controversial this morning.

They never say no. And that's basically this entire generation. They've never been disciplined in school.

The police no longer discipline them on the high street. You know, a preacher from New Zealand, they once said, he said they took the cane out of the schools and then had to put a truncheon in a policeman's hand to start them out later. But we've gone far worse.

That was 30 years ago. That was 40 years ago. You know, in Singapore, there's a PS by that you can throw this bit away, but let me tell you, I had a family member from Singapore said, listen to me.

He says, you can go out and put your wallet on a park bench in Singapore. I'm not sure if it's like this now, but it was, and you can leave it there, walk away, come back in an hour and pick it up filled with money. Do you know what they do with thieves? They take them out in the middle of the city, string them up, get bamboo rods, and they beat you publicly.

You don't want to steal again. See something has gone wrong with our society. We've got a generation of young brats that have taken now, they've taken over society, the workplace, the home education.

We are in chaos in our nation. You know why? It all goes back to this. Not only is it not parents saying no to a little child, it's adults who no longer say no to their own flesh.

And what's worse is we've got an entire church generation, when that flesh, when self goes, but I don't want to do that, and cries its tears. We're there trying to minister to the flesh saying, there, there, there. That flesh will destroy you.

It won't go the way of the cross. It won't go the way of obedience. And so when you begin to deal with following Christ, go on the way of self-denial, you're going to meet self.

It's in you. Sorry to tell you that. All you nice, beautiful looking Christians here this morning, you have self.

It is more dangerous than you can ever imagine. That is my worst enemy, not the devil. It is self.

Self is destructive, jealous, bitter, angry. You know, with one of those interviews with Trump the past week or so, they said they've done a survey in America, how that revenge affects the brain, what it does to the brain. Revenge is an addiction.

You become an addict of revenge. Let me say more. I believe that of unforgiveness, bitterness, jealousy, all of that, that old nature is an addict.

That's why when some of that, it gets a hold of you, that's who you become. You no longer don't forgive. You are an unforgiving person.

You're bitter, angry, jealous, selfish. Selfish is one of the most horrible types of people to handle. All it is, is an old nature, undealt with.

But look at this. Jesus said, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself. You cannot follow Jesus unless you deny self.

Utterly impossible. If you remove the cross and self-denial, you can't walk with Jesus. Utterly impossible.

You let self live, have its way, its thoughts dictate to you in your marriage, your home, your children's life, in this church, in this pulpit. We're ruined. We're ruined.

What does the word deny mean? To say no, to refuse, decline, reject, renounce, refuse to accept as real, disown. I don't owe you. You're nothing to do with me.

To put off or away, it's a violent act. Self is not a friend. And when you begin to follow Christ, suddenly you realize you're dealing with something you never imagined.

Oh, now you're born again, but you need to deal with self. And so Jesus says, you want to follow me? Deny yourself. How do I deny myself? Some special teaching, someone on YouTube who's got his 15 sermons of special techniques.

Now they teach you breathing techniques. Where'd you get that in your Bible? Let me give you the core of the answer to this. Number four, taking up your cross.

See, if you want to gain, you're going to have to lose your life. Gaining by losing. Do you want resurrection power? Do you want Christ living in you? Do you want life to be made manifest? His joy, his life, his power, his blessing.

That's why some people could follow Christ. Follow? I'm a follower. You don't look like a follower to me.

You don't even obey basic things. Oh, I'm a follower. Why hasn't your attitude changed? You're following him without denying self.

More than that, without a cross. Point four, taking up your cross. Look at this verse again.

And he said unto all of them, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. We have come in popular society. People say, oh, this sick child is my cross.

Have you heard it? Especially in our society. I've got a handicapped kid. That's my cross.

I've got trials and burdens. That's my cross. I'm sick.

That's my cross. That isn't the cross. Sinners have that type of cross.

That's not this cross. That's radically different. Hey, if you've got troubles here this morning, sinners have troubles.

You're not special because you have troubles here. I lost my wife. Many have lost their wives in this study.

Atheists have lost their wives. That doesn't make you special or mean you've become spiritual. They have to come to terms with that without falling apart.

But that isn't the cross he's talking about here. It's not talking about troubles or trials. Sinners have all of these.

You know what it's talking about? The deliberate act of applying the doctrine of Christ, the cross of Christ to your self-life and its actions, thoughts, manifestations. That's the cross. It's not the trials, the troubles you suffer.

It's when self arises, you apply the cross. How do you deny? What does it mean deny? Say no to yourself. Have a conversation.

No. You may never do that. But you know when that flesh arises, self, oh it can look so pristine.

So I just think I'm feeling too spiritual for that today. That's stinking. It exalts itself.

Christ says if you humble yourself, then he will exalt you in due time. There's the upside kingdom. You want life? You're going to have to deny yourself.

Oh, but I want to live. Yeah, but what sort of life? Selfish, ambitious, carnal, worldly, gaining. Do you want to gain your life? Then you'll lose it.

Do you want to lose your life? Then you'll gain it. I'm telling you a fundamental principle and the church has lost it in this generation. And so we see what it means.

What does taking up your cross means? The cross was a tool. Every Christian is called to follow Christ by denying himself through taking up his cross. It's called your cross.

Oh, it's his cross, but it's your cross. You need to make it personal. It's not just some symbolic teaching anymore.

You go, this is my cross. This is a lifetime in us. This is a Christian life.

You want the life of Christ to shine forth. You want his joy, peace, righteousness, then take up your cross. You want the will of God.

You want him to bless what you do in the church, then take up your cross. Oh no, brother Keith, you need to understand. I'm an exception to the rule.

All right. Oh yeah, all of you can do that, but I don't need to. I'm so mature, so spiritual.

I know so much. I'm so close. I can act differently than the rest of you.

There's something wrong with you. Excuses. A little bit later, there's Luke chapter nine, but over in Luke chapter 14 verse 25, listen to what Jesus says.

And there were great multitudes with him. And he turned and said unto them, if any man will come to me and hate not his father. Yeah, I'll say that.

Hate not his father, nor his mother and wife. Very quiet. And children.

He's talking about following him. Are you sure you want to follow him? See, we know the Bible teaches love. You love your enemies.

So it certainly doesn't mean hate. What does it mean in comparison to family, children, mother, father? You're meant to honor your mother and father, even if they're wrong, even if they're awkward, even if they're unbearable. You have to honor them because eternal life is connected to that or life, long life is connected to that.

You have to love your wife. Husbands love your wife. And yet it says, if you're going to follow Christ, you actually can't follow him.

If you don't hate her in comparison to how you love him. Oh, but I love her. How much do you love the master? You could love your wife.

You could love your children and send them to hell. You could love your parents so much. You don't obey God.

Then he goes further and brethren and sisters, and his own life. Also, he cannot be my disciple. You put your children before him.

You'll lose them. You put your wife before God's commands. You're going to damage your marriage, your brother, your sister, your life, your job.

You're in trouble. You put your job before Christ. Keep your stinking job.

You don't love him. Don't tell me you love him. Your job means more than Jesus Christ.

Oh, I'm following Christ. What does it look like? I'm not being foolish here. There's no sin in being rich, having a nice car, having a nice house, having a good job, having beautiful clothes to wear.

Nothing wrong with that. Only one man in the entire New Testament did he personally command, sell all that you have, only one. And he only said that because that man was a covetous man who said, I'll do anything to follow you.

Okay, sell all that you have, give to a prayer. And he went away sad. He didn't want Christ.

Christ said that because that's the thing that was his idol. I'll follow you, but don't touch my girlfriend. Don't touch my home.

The reason they're my kids. Yeah, they're brats. You don't discipline them.

Don't tell me you love them. I love my wife. What a new letter, live a carnal life.

I love my husband. He's a brood of a man. Comes in this, his hands on a Sunday.

You'll destroy him. And so Christ is dealing here with taking up your cross. What does taking up your cross look like? Christ goes further.

For which of you intending to build a tower? I'm not telling you to do this. You better consider it, the cost of this. Do you want to gain everything? I'm telling you how, but you may not want that.

You may want to keep your own small, stinking life and do it your way. Fine. I know the end of that.

You'll lose everything. You can live in this world and you'll lose everything. But I'm jumping ahead of myself.

For which of you intending to build a tower? Sitteth not down first and committeth and counteth the cost, whether he has sufficient to finish it. I wish more new converts done this. That's why we're not after decisions.

There's a church down the road. They said they made, what was it, 300 converts in a couple of weeks? 700. They've got 5,000 now.

Saints, you've seen the effect of one real convert can have in this city. One person really impacted, hasn't it? You can't get 5,000 people saved in this city and me not know about it. That's radically impossible.

This city would be shook at its highest realms. You see, I would rather say to someone, you want to follow Christ? Sit down, count the cost. Oh, I might be doing that for the next two years.

Fine. That's okay. Because I'd hate for you to start and then go, I actually don't want to do this.

Making a decision, getting baptized in water and going, I don't want to follow him. I don't want to deny myself. I don't want to take up the cross.

Then why just start on the journey? I mean, when you come to Christ, he's a suffering savior. No, but I want all the benefits. I don't want to lay down my life.

Oh, but see, that's how they preach it out there, isn't it? That's how the preachers preach it. It's all blessing, blessing, gaining, gaining, but you don't need to die. No denial of yourself, no taking up your cross.

See, this is the gospel, taking up your cross. Listen to what AW Tozer said to someone once who he was speaking to. He said, when you see a man with a cross, it means three things.

Number one, that man's got a one-way ticket. He's not coming back. When you see a cross on his shoulder, that same man isn't coming back here ever again.

He's going in one direction. You'll never see him quite like that ever again if you have a cross. Number two, there's no going back.

He says goodbye to friends, places, habits. He said goodbye. He's not going back to those same places.

Number three, when he's going there, he doesn't have any plans for tomorrow. Oh, I've got it all laid out what I'm going to do. That man going there knows this is one of the greatest events of his life.

He won't look the same tomorrow. He's going to expire. And so taking up your cross, you see, if you want to deal with yourself, this is a remedy.

The cross is the remedy to yourself. That cross of Jesus Christ. Do you know in olden days, they carried that top beam, not the entire cross.

Remember, there was a man, Jesus couldn't carry his own cross, and they compelled a man who's going in a different direction. They took him, compelled him. I was almost tempted to preach on him this morning, but I went, boy, I have to hold myself back.

There's a whole sermon on that man's life. He represents you. He represents this message.

They compelled them to carry the cross for Jesus. You know what? He was going that way. It says they were actually crossing paths, and they got him and compelled him.

Poor guy. He says, no, no, no, I'm going over there. Uh-uh, you're going this way.

See, there's the work of the Holy Spirit. Now, he's going to Calvary's hill. He's being compelled to carry that top beam on his shoulders.

I actually believe after that event, that man was so transformed, never to be the same again. His name went down in the annals of history. See, we're talking about taking up your cross.

The cross is an enemy to selfish ambition. Your ways, your thoughts, your ideas, it gets right into your life. Well, I think I'll do this.

Has it gone through the cross? I think, I feel, I'm going to do my plans. This is how I live. This is how I make decisions.

Has the cross been applied? Are you being led? Are you following the flesh? Who are you following? Are you following Jesus Christ? With the cross, are you following yourself? It's two different pathways. It looks radically different. And you know, in this book, I can test all of that, how it looks.

You can get tricked into this. Oh, I'm not going to the pub. I didn't mention the pub.

Oh, I'm not taking drugs anymore. I know you're a born again Christian. And yet, that's self.

We're not talking about salvation here. How do you get saved? By grace, through faith in the blood of Jesus. This isn't salvation.

This is discipleship. This is what a Christian looks like. Oh, but I got saved out of drugs, and heroin, and crack, and atheism.

I'm a Christian now. Okay, welcome to discipleship. Oh no, but I left all that world behind me.

Yeah, now you're selfish. I've seen people in the church, proud, arrogant, no cigarettes touching their lips. They haven't taken any drugs since they got born again, but pride, arrogance, jealousy.

Something needs to go to the cross here. If you're going to follow Christ, that's going to have to die. This is the Christian life.

See, this is not the born again experience. You're not living this out. This is living out your water baptism.

Point five, saving your own life. Look what it says the next verse, verse 26, and whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, him shall the son of man. Sorry, verse 25.

For what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world and lose himself or be cast away? So the Lord says, well, here's the other option, saving your own life. Don't deny, don't say no to your flesh. Flesh can appear in your wife, your children, your mommy, or your daddy.

You have to honor them, but you have to say no, because you're not dealing with mommy. You're dealing with self, a fallen nature, the old man Adam. If you can't distinguish when you deal with people, remember how Peter came to Jesus? Who do you say I am? The Messiah, the Christ promised in the scriptures.

My father in heaven revealed this to you. Two seconds later, I'm going to the cross. The son of man's going to suffer and die.

Not you, master. No way. You don't need to die.

You don't need to go to the way of the cross. No, no, no, no, no, no. What does he say? Get thee behind me, Satan.

See how Jesus had a discern. One minute, the father's speaking through Peter. The next minute, the devil's speaking through Peter.

Do you see how it's not only your own self? I've got to watch my own thoughts. One minute, brother, so could be speaking to me. Sorry for using you for an example.

He's not the devil, okay? Don't you misquote me. Brother, so could speak into my life, the wisdom of God, and I walk away and I'm going, that was the Holy Spirit speaking directly to me. He didn't even fully know what he was doing, but the Holy Spirit, I better take on board what he says.

Then the next minute at a weak time, a casual time, time of one thought, coming out with something. I'm going, boy, that's from the pit of hell. Happened to Peter.

Doesn't mean we'll murder him or nail him to a cross. Don't do that. But if you can't discern saving your life, what does it advantage a man if he gained the whole world and lose himself or be cast away? You want to keep your life.

You don't want to carry your cross. Then self, your life will live. But if this old life, if you get your way, like a spoiled child, I'm getting my way.

You've destroyed that child. I never, ever once, when I was a kid, went to a shop and said, I want that. I want that.

See, we were raised in another generation. It took me to 16 to take two biscuits when I went to visit someone. I'm an adult now.

I'm a grown up. I'm in the army and I'm going, I'm forcing myself. You can take a second biscuit.

We are at, don't you dare take a second biscuit. Take one. Kids, are you listening? Where are you? Don't you dare touch that chocolate on that table.

We as kids wouldn't have dared went near that box of biscuits. Wouldn't have dared. What a radical change.

And I'm not supporting that. You want to teach your kids, take as many biscuits as you want. It's your.

But you know what? We're talking about those. Christ actually warns, you don't need to go this way, but you'll lose your soul. If you gain the whole world, that's the value of your soul, your eternal soul.

Sitting here this morning, you want to know how valuable you are to God. He so loved you. He died on a cross for you.

Christ went to the cross. He denied himself. He died.

He suffered on the tree. That's how much he loved you. That's what your soul is worth.

You may not care about your soul and life. Christ cares about your soul. He bled on a tree in Jerusalem.

He suffered for you. He bare your sins. That's the value of your soul.

Or what would I do? Gain the whole world, all its wealth, all its women, all its fame, all its power, all of its influence. What, 50 years? You'd be doing pretty well. Gained it all.

And he said, at the end you die and go to hell. He said, it wouldn't advantage you. And 50 years compared to eternity, time without end, a little bit of pleasure and enjoyment here.

You think that's real life? Sinners live for this. All the great kings, the men of power, the money men, the merchants, you can't even touch them with the gospel. You know why? They're blinded by their riches and power.

They go, we don't believe in God. Man, do you ever notice how old they live into their 90s? You better enjoy that. But let me finish sixth and finally, present resurrection glory.

This is all in the text that I'm reading you. This is the teaching of Jesus. What about those who do deny themselves and do take up their cross and do follow after Christ? Verse 27 as we close, but I tell you of a truth.

There be some stand in here, which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God. They won't taste of death. There are some standing here.

They won't taste of death until they see the son of man coming in glory. Remember it says that in other gospels. Do you remember how, and you've heard this, some people that come across that first and they go, hmm, how can this be? What does it mean that some stand in there of the 12 are going to see Christ come in his glory? They must have believed that Jesus was imminently going to come in their lifetime.

It doesn't say that. That's a misinterpretation. So you get all these skeptics saying, see, they thought Jesus was going to come in their day.

No, they didn't see. Jesus said they were going to see him coming. Some standing there physically, we're going to see him come in his glory.

It's not saying that. Let me tell you what it means. Because he's talking about some standing there who are following them, denying themselves, taking up their cross.

What does he say unto him? Some of you shall not taste of death till, in our words, they are going to taste of death. If Jesus comes physically and you're here, you won't taste of death ever. But he says, you won't taste of death till you see the kingdom of God and elsewhere till you see the son of man coming in glory.

That's Luke 9, 27. What's verse 28? Verse 28, and it came to pass about eight days after these sayings. See the connection.

He's not about to connect what he said, the end of his sermon to what he's saying now, but he carries on in eight days. In other words, this was fulfilled eight days after he predicted it. Some of you standing here who are following me, denying yourself, taking up your cross.

Some of you are going to see the kingdom of God. You won't die until you see the kingdom of God. So eight days later then, says he took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray.

And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered. And his raiment was white and glistening. And behold, there talked with them two men, which were Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory and spoke of the decease or the death, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

But Peter, again, Peter puts his foot on it. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep. And when they were awake or when they wakened up, they saw his glory and the two men that stood with them.

And it came to pass as they departed from him. Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, one for Elias.

Man always wants to build something. God's glory. And you want to build something.

Peter, not again. Men are still doing it. And they feared.

And thus spoke. And there came a cloud. As he's speaking about building something for these men, there came a cloud and overshadowed them.

And they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud saying, this is my beloved son. Hear him.

And when the voice was passed, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close and told no man in those days any of those things which had happened. Saints, my sixth and final point.

Present resurrection, glory. Some, some of all of those who go this way will have unusual manifestations and experiences of the Son of God. I didn't say all.

Some of you that follow Christ will have unusual, very unusual experiences of his glory, of his resurrection, of his power, of his kingdom. Didn't promise it to all of them. And he didn't do it with all of them.

But some of you standing here are going to see this. He may not. Or he may.

James will die in execution. I'll send an angel to release Peter. You don't lead this.

He leads us and you can trust him. You can follow the master. He may lead you to that mountain in eight days and you'll have an unusual visitation of God.

But I want to tell you, if you don't go this way, you'll lose your soul and go to hell for all eternity. What am I talking about? My message, losing to gain. He talks of the man who if he loses his soul, he could gain the whole world.

But if he loses his soul, nothing can remedy that. But listen, you could lose the whole world, fame, fortune, ambition, everything, all your friends. But I promise you, what you gain is incomparable.

If you lost everything of this world, what you gain in Jesus Christ is incomparable. And when you see him as your treasure, the one to pursue after, the one to follow, nothing compare. No little girl in a flimsy skirt is going to compare with him.

No job with its high pay is going to compare with him. No house. It's a house that got lots of wife.

Do you think she was a sodomite? She looks back at Sodom and Gomorrah. She wasn't a sodomite. She wasn't a lesbian.

She wasn't after sexual immorality. She had a house. Remember, she didn't want to live in a tent with Sarah.

It was a house in Sodom. I built that house over the past 30 years. Don't look back.

She was turned into a pillar of salt. Your house could damn you. You need to be very, very careful.

But you know what the answer is? The cross will do surgery and deal with what's called self, the old nature, the old man. And if you follow Christ, this is a process that's working all the time. This is hard.

You wouldn't do it for the thing itself. No way. But I want him.

I want the man. I want Jesus. Then this is going to work.

Deny self. Take up your cross. It's hard.

I know. I know it's costly. I know.

I'm hurting. I know. I think I'm going to faint.

I know. But keep following the man, Christ Jesus. And you know what? I tell you, where he goes, you will be.

You want resurrection life? Life eternal? You want the throne? Keep following him. It's just up ahead. Stand with me.

Let's pray. Lord Jesus. Oh, Lord Jesus, we love you.

We praise you. We desire you, O God. Just lift up your hands.

Just speak to him. What's he speaking to you this morning? What's he saying to you? Why don't you respond in your heart right now? Just you and him, where you are, where you're standing. Just open your heart.

Just speak to him. You know what he's speaking to you. You know what he's dealing with.

You're no different than me. I'm not a big guy who's done all of this. I'm being dealt with by the Holy Spirit of God in ways that you cannot even imagine.

I tell you, it's sore when the dealings of God come. It's so, so sore. Can I tell you one just as I close here? The past two weeks, my flesh, my old man, my natural man, my humanity is wanting to pull back, looking back, thinking back to Candice and all the time the Holy Spirit of God speaking to me saying, I made provision.

Go forward. Go forward. That's hard.

It's not sinful. But I'm telling you, if I'm not careful, that becomes sinful. Introspection, feeling sorry for myself.

Why? It could destroy me. And I stand up. I'm telling you something very real.

I'm really opening up my heart right now. And I'm tired for two weeks. I'm wrestling, dealing with self.

It wasn't self two months ago. Now it's self. This is now self.

And I'm aware. And the Holy Spirit speaking saying, go straight ahead. I've spoken to you.

I've shown you. I've revealed my will. Don't look back.

This isn't easy. That isn't going to the world or the pub or the bar. This isn't going out to some bed of sex.

This is just my natural humanity. Saints of God, I've got to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit of God. Let's just ask him to work in our hearts.

Lord God, we need you this morning. Thank you for the cross. Lord God, we want to deny.

We want to renounce ourselves. Lord God, we want to say no to ourselves. Lord God, we want to cast off ourselves.

And Lord God, we know that your commands, your leadership, your headship, your instructions reveal what is of the old nature, what is of the flesh. And Lord God, we see, Lord God, how Peter was deceived, caught off guard by his own flesh, his own thoughts, his own natural human love and emotions. He was caught off wanting to protect the master and yet found himself on a collision with the cross of Jesus Christ.

We're asking of you right now in this place, give us the grace, give us the help. Let your Holy Spirit work and speak and woo and draw us individually that we are being able to deny ourself, to take up the cross, to bear the cross and to follow the master. My God, we don't want to lose our soul for the things of this world.

Lord God, for unforgiveness, attitudes of the heart. Lord God, for vengeance. Lord God, we're asking of you, lead us by the man Christ Jesus in Jesus' name.