Take Up Your Cross | Miles First Baptist Church

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Brother Charles talks about "Taking Up Your Cross"

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever
wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." Matthew 16:25

What have you been doing lately to "Give yourself away"?

That may seem like a strange question, but it is one we need to ask ourselves every once in a while in order to keep the right perspective as Christians. You see, as Christians, we can't let ourselves become like the world where the driving motivation of today's society is "SELF". The question, "What's in it for me?", is the fundamental question that is asked before anything is ever done. For most folks, if there isn't something in it for them, they simply won't do it.

Yet, Jesus told us that if we are to be great in the Kingdom of God, we must learn to be servants. We must help "other" people. We must meet the needs of "other" people. We must please "other" people. But most of all, we must please God.

He puts it a little stronger in Matthew's Gospel. He says ...

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will

find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to

come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according

to what they have done." Matthew 16:25-27 - New International Version (NIV)

Let's look at what Jesus is telling us. First, we must take up a cross, and second, we should do this daily.

So; .... what, then, is your cross?

Jesus gives us the pattern to follow. He gave us our example by picking up His own cross. Let's look at what that was. Many have interpreted this command to mean just "enduring something unpleasant". They think that having a bad cold is bearing a cross, or putting up with their mother-in-law is a cross, or having some financial difficulty is a cross. So they actually think they have taken up their cross if they have had a hard time with something sometime during the day.

But they miss the point of the command entirely. Let's see if we can't make it a little clearer.

First, our cross needs to be like the cross of Jesus. He bore his for us, and we will bear ours for Him. When you examine it, there were some basic elements about that cross that will help us locate and pick up our own.

Here are four of those elements:

He chose to pick up his cross. He didn't have to go to the cross, and could have refused to take it up when the time came, but his prayer in Gethsemane was "Never-the-less, not my will but Thine be done.” He acknowledged that it was for that purpose which he came. Our cross, then should meet this first requirement. It will be something we can choose to carry (or refuse to pick up).
It cost him great suffering. It was not an easy thing to do, and he struggled with the enormity of it, even to the point of asking if there wasn't some other way.

Our cross, then should cost us something as well. It should not be a task that is easily done with little effort on our part. It should involve some suffering on our part.
It was born for others. He had no need to go to the cross for himself. What happened on that cross was god giving his Son as a blood offering for our sins. He, himself, was innocent and sinless and needed no atonement -- it was for you that he died. It was for me. Our cross should be something done to assist others and not ourselves.
It was necessary for the salvation of souls. Without the cross, there would have been no atonement. Without atonement for our sins, we would still be separated from God and lost because of our sins!

Our cross should be something we do that assist others to find salvation with God.

In order for The Kingdom of God to advance on this earth, millions of individual tasks have to be done. One or more of these tasks belong to you. Oh, it doesn't have to be super-spiritual, or something that affects millions (often it only affects one person) -- but it does need to meet the above criteria.

When you think about it, there are lots of people who quietly go about lugging their crosses through the day, and no one ever seems to notice. Did you ever think about the people who clean the Church, or mow it's grass? How about that dedicated army of people (God love em) who take care of our children during the worship services? How about the people who make it their job to see that the Pastor and his family are provided for, and if a pipe breaks in the middle of the night, they are there with their tools to put things right again? (I have been amazed how God has provided such people for my wife and I time and time again).

Then, there are the Sunday School teachers, choir members, piano players, ushers, and numberless others who make up the team that it takes to have church. All of these folks are carrying crosses. Think about it -- their tasks meet all of the above criteria.

What is your cross? Are you picking it up and carrying it each day, or do you leave it at home?

Actually, it is a great bargain. We deny ourselves, and give to Jesus what paltry little we possess, and he gives us the Kingdom of Heaven: What a trade

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the
kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves
that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no
thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is there your heart
will be also." Luke 12:32

BROTHER CHARLES