Sermon Title: A life of self-denial
Scripture: Matthew 16:21-25

At the center of the Christian life is a cross. The call to take up our cross is a call to come and die.

“We have been led to believe that the self is sacrosanct (sacred/untouchable); just as in an earlier time it was thought never fitting to deny God, now it feels never right to deny oneself.” “A still more excellent way” - Robert C Roberts

Deny yourself is not the same as deny your self

1. You as a whole (self) are an object of invaluable worth and love

2. Your fleshly desires that join forces with the world and the devil are what we are called to deny

“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?” Matthew 16:25-26

To live in the flesh, to live with uncrucified affections and desires, is simply a matter of putting them in the ultimate position in our lives. Whatever we want becomes the most important thing. This is what happens when we live apart from God; we make our desires ultimate because they are all we have. We look to them as if they were everything in our lives; thinking of my worth, my glory, my appearance, thinking of my power to sustain myself.” Dallas Willard

Additional notes:

Matthew 16:21-25
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “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 will find it.