He Left Heaven for Us
We should be willing to suffer for Christ and follow His example, just as He left heaven for us.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the profound sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who left heaven and endured immense suffering for humanity's redemption. He challenges believers to embrace their own sufferings and take up their crosses, reflecting on the disparity between Christ's trials and the comforts many seek. Brooks urges that if Christ, who was sinless, faced such hardships, then believers should not shy away from their own challenges. He calls for a willingness to part with worldly attachments and comforts in order to follow Christ faithfully. Ultimately, the sermon is a call to recognize the depth of Christ's love and sacrifice and to respond with a life of commitment and sacrifice for Him.
Text
"If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross and follow Me." Matthew 16:24
Let the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, work us into
a gracious willingness to embrace sufferings for His sake,
and cheerfully and resolutely to take up His cross and
follow Him. Did Christ suffer--who knew no sin; and shall
we think it strange to suffer--who know nothing but sin?
Shall He lie sweltering under His Father's wrath--and shall
we cry out under men's anger? Was He crowned with thorns
--and must we be crowned with rose-buds? Was His whole
life, from the cradle to the cross, made up of nothing but
sorrows and sufferings--and must our lives, from the cradle
to the grave, be filled up with nothing but pleasures and
delights?
Was He despised--and must we be admired?
Was He debased--and must we be exalted?
Was He poor--and must we be rich?
Was He low--and must we be high?
Did He drink of a bitter cup, a bloody cup--
and must we have only cups of consolation?
Let us not think anything too much to do for Christ,
nor anything too great to suffer for Christ, nor anything
too dear to part with for such a Christ, such a Savior--
who thought nothing too much to do, or too grievous
to suffer--so that He might accomplish the work of our
redemption. He left heaven for us--and shall not we
let go this world for Him? He left his Father's bosom for
us--and shall not we leave the bosoms of our dearest
relations for him? He underwent all sorts of sufferings
for us--let us as readily encounter with all sorts of
sufferings for Him.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Call to Follow Christ
- A. Deny ourselves and take up our cross
- B. Follow Christ in suffering
- II. The Example of Christ
- A. He suffered for our sins
- B. He was despised, debased, and poor
- III. The Call to Imitate Christ
- A. Let us not think anything too much to do for Christ
- B. Let us be willing to suffer for Christ
- IV. The Reward of Following Christ
- A. He left heaven for us
- B. He left his Father's bosom for us
Key Quotes
“He left heaven for us--and shall not we let go this world for Him?” — Thomas Brooks
“Was He crowned with thorns--and must we be crowned with rose-buds?” — Thomas Brooks
“Let us not think anything too much to do for Christ,” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We should be willing to deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Christ.
- We should imitate Christ's example of suffering for the sake of others.
- We should be willing to part with things and leave behind our worldly attachments for the sake of Christ.