Day 35

35 - Dying: Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross, Follow Me 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 

On May 14, 1804, Lewis and Clark and their expedition team of about 45 men left St. Louis to discover the source of the Missouri River. More than fourteen months later, on July 25, 1805, they arrived at the headwaters of the Missouri, just outside current-day Three Forks, Montana. Three rivers converge at the headwaters to form the Missouri River (hence the name of the town "Three Forks). From there, Lewis and Clark traversed one of the rivers, the Jefferson, to travel to the Pacific Ocean.

If you go to the Headwaters of the Missouri River today, there is a state park there, commemorating Lewis and Clark's discovery. In that state park you will find, among other things, a small, fenced-off gravesite where three children are buried. A marker says that they were the children of pioneers, and they died in 1870 from Black Diphtheria.

This makes me think of Jesus' original Apostles. They were, in many ways, pioneers. They were asked by Jesus to give up everything, deny themselves and die to themselves. To follow Jesus and live a Chair 4 lifestyle, we have to deny ourselves and die to ourselves. We have to “take up our cross.”

Read Matthew 16:24-27.

• What do you think it means to deny yourself and die to yourself? 

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What are some things you personally need to put to death in order to be a disciple-maker who follows Jesus? Think about habits, desires, relationships, conduct, use of time, etc....

What does Matthew 16:27 say is a benefit of denying and dying to yourself?

Jesus said these words in Matthew 16 about nine months before He went to Jerusalem, where He would take up His own cross. In nine months, He was going to die to Himself and deny His own desires and will in order to do the will of the Father (see Luke 22:42). Jesus died to Himself and He died for His disciples (and for you) to bring them to the Father (see 1 Peter 3:18).

Read 2 Corinthians 5:15.

• Because Jesus died for us, what should we do? In order to live for Jesus, we've got to die to our own desires and will, like Jesus did. How would giving in to our own desires and will hinder our ability to be a disciple-maker?
• If you were teaching this material to a disciple of yours, what examples could you give of ways you have denied yourself and died to yourself? 

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Read John 21:17-19.

Nine months after Jesus told His disciples to deny and die to themselves, He was arrested, tried, took up His cross and was crucified. After He was arrested, the Apostle Peter denied knowing Him. After Jesus was crucified and rose to life again, He gave Peter a chance to make things right. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him, allowing him to make up for the three times he had denied Him.

After Peter's third affirmation of love and commitment to Jesus, what did Jesus say would happen to Peter?

Peter, the pioneer disciple-maker, was actually crucified for his faith in Jesus. Just like Jesus described it, he was crucified with his hands stretched out. He was crucified by the Roman Emperor Nero in 67 or 68 AD. He actually chose to be crucified upside down, with his head to the ground, because he did not feel worthy of dying exactly like Jesus. Peter did deny and die to himself, living a disciple-making life for Jesus, and he ultimately died for Jesus.

Read Philippians 3:10-11.

• The Apostle Peter had an influence on the Apostle Paul. Paul expressed this desire in his disciple-making lifestyle. What was his desire? How is this denying and dying to himself? 

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It is normal for us to want to avoid pain, suffering and death. Jesus would have preferred to not suffer and die, but out of love for the Father and for us, He denied Himself and died to Himself. Out of love for Jesus and the Father, to be a pioneering disciple-maker, we must deny and die to ourselves. We will lose our lives, but we will find them (Matthew 16:25) and be rewarded for our sacrifice (Matthew 16:27)! 

Apart From Him…

• Thank God for putting you right where you are, choosing you to be His child and calling you to be a disciple-maker. Ask Him to show you ways that He wants you to deny yourself and die to yourself. Tell Him you're willing to take up your cross, and ask Him for the strength and endurance to do it. 

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Walking As Jesus…

• Write down three ways (habits, relationships, behaviors, desires) that Jesus wants you to deny yourself so that you can live for Him and be like Him. Share this list with either someone you are discipling or someone who is discipling you. 

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• My Personal Disciple-Making Plan: