Real discipleship -the way of the Cross

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
(Mark 8:34-38 NIV)

God has been bringing up the gospel recorder by Mark all around me, my parents and I have studied it for months over beer and pizza, I studied it on my own, I led a camp through mark 1-8 for InterVarsity, mark came up at church and we just started a series on mark at my young adults group. I think God is saying something haha.

This is real discipleship, this is what it really means to follow Jesus - to deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Jesus daily.

How? Lets go back to Mark 1.

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:14, 15 NIV)

Repentance is the way of the cross and is a continual lifestyle we are called to. Yet it starts by repenting of being in control and letting Jesus be king in our life believing he is good and real and sovereign.

So many of us come to Jesus wanting both our eternal soul to be saved and yet to also gain the things of this world. We want both. Yet Jesus' invitation is to leave everything and follow him. The first disciples leave their nets and their families. I have left some things like my career yet I often hold on chasing after other things of this world such as relationships and identity in success.

God I pray for understanding of what it means to deny myself daily. God convict me by your Holy Spirit of sin and idols in my life. I thank you for the ways you smashed many of the idols in my life, yet I am afraid some are still hiding in my heart looking innocent. Yet when trouble comes I want to lean on you Lord not for things but for your hope and comfort.

Let my life be all and only for you and the gospel Lord!
Amen