Turn with me, if you would, to
Matthew chapter 10. I've told you many times how
much I appreciate these men and the help that they've been to
me in preparing and delivering messages. This has just been
an absolutely all-consuming time in the ministry here, and I have
so needed the help. They've been taking these Bible
studies for us each week. And we're gonna change it up
a little bit today. I'm bringing this Bible study
and I'll bring the message, Lord willing, and then Brother Luke
is gonna bring the message to us this evening. And I'm glad
that it worked out this way because the two portions of scripture
that I want us to look at today very much go hand in hand. I'm glad that they're gonna be
one after the other one. This is not a part one and a
part two, but you're going to see this is very much two sides
of the same coin. Very much. What I want to look
at for the Bible study is denying self. And what I want to look at for
the message is confessing Christ, denying self. and confessing
Christ. We're gonna use these two verses
for our Bible study text. Matthew 10, verse 38 says, and he that taketh not his cross
and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth
his life shall lose it And he that loses his life for my sake
shall find it. He that taketh not his cross
and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth
his life shall lose it. And he that loses his life for
my sake shall find it. Now, our Lord expounded on that
a little bit in Matthew 16. Turn with me if you would over
to Matthew 16. Matthew 16 verse 24 says, then said Jesus unto his disciples,
if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take
up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall
find it. And then he went on to say, for
what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and
lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? He said, whoever finds his life,
that's what he said in Matthew 10. And here he said, saves his
life. That's what he means, saves his
life, shall lose it. And whoever loses his life for
my sake, the Lord said, shall find it, shall save it. Now,
what does that mean? To put it simply, it means this.
Finding or saving our life is not denying ourselves, not taking
up our cross, and not following Christ. That's finding our life
or trying to save our own life, okay? Losing our life is denying
ourselves, taking up our cross and following Christ. He said,
the one who does not deny himself, take up his cross and follow
Christ will not be saved. And the one who does deny himself
or herself and does take up his or her cross and follows Christ
will be saved. I want to be saved. You want to be saved. You're
here because you want to be saved. So do you know what here in that
makes us wanna do? This is what it makes us wanna
do. It makes us want to deny ourselves, take up our cross
and follow Christ. All right, now, what does that
mean? What does that mean? What is
denying self, taking up the cross, and following Christ? Well, the
word deny means that when you look it up in the concordance,
the Bible dictionary, this is what it means. And this is good,
all right? It means to deny utterly, to
disown. to abstain from. It's to have
no acquaintance or connection with. It's to forget. It's to lose sight of. Self. Does that make sense? Whoever
denies self, denies utterly, disowns, abstains from, has no
acquaintance or connection with, forgets, loses sight of self. In false religion, the way that
you can tell it's a false religion, this is just clear as crystal. In false religion, The way you
can know it's a false religion is people are very acquainted
with, they have a very clear view of self. It's all about self. It is all
about me, the whole thing. It's all about me. Everything's
looking to me. I just, how do I see me in it? It's all me,
self, self. My salvation's all about me.
What I'm doing, what I need to be doing, that is finding self,
whoever finds self. But the Lord said the soul that's
going to be saved is the soul that loses self, utterly denies
self, disowns self. has no acquaintance, no connection
with the works of self, because he or she is not even looking
to self. There's no line of sight at all
to the works of the flesh of self. All right, now, there is a line of sight to the
flesh of self. But what God's people see in
self, that's what makes God's people want to take up the cross.
There is a line that we do see self. We're not looking to self,
but we do see ourselves. And that's what makes us want
to deny ourselves. It's because of what we see in
ourselves. That's what makes us want to take up our cross. God's people see sin in themselves. Don't you? I do. God's people see when they look
at self, when they do get a clear line of sight to self, they see
no good thing in themselves. They see no ability to do any
good thing. In false religion, they're always
saying, come on now, you can do better. In the truth, Everybody's
saying, no, I can't. No ability to do any good thing. When God's people see themselves,
this is what they see. Utter loss. They see the loss
of connection and communication with God. Don't you just feel
so in the flesh, just so disconnected from God? The only way our connection
could be reinstated with God is by his spirit. His flesh is
just dead. That's what it is. But God's
people see the loss of spiritual life in their flesh, in themselves. They don't see anything worth
saving, nothing worth saving. This is what they say, throw
it away, get rid of it. Just lose it somewhere. It's
not worth anything. It's not worth anything. People
say, now wait a minute, are you talking about the life that you
lived on this earth? You're saying it's not worth anything? You'll
hear, there are songs on the radio that talk about, you know,
there's a little bit of good in everybody. You're telling
me there's nothing in the life that you have lived worth anything
to God? God doesn't see anything worth
saving in it. Not only does God not see anything
worth saving in it, I don't either. It's not worth anything. I say
this is what all God's people say. The imagination of my mind
is only evil continually. My heart is deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked. My hands and my feet are swift
to shed blood. Oh, the proud look that comes
from the lust of my eyes. Oh, the fires that are kindled
from this lying, stammering, wicked tongue. Throw it all out. It's worth nothing. It's worth
nothing. God denies it, and I do too. God denies it, amen. That's what it is to deny self. And if we deny self, we have
no choice but to take up our cross. What does that mean exactly?
Well, who deserves a cross? Who were crosses made for? Who
exactly deserves to go to a cross? Don't turn, but Luke 23 calls
Barabbas and the two men that were with him malefactors. And that word means wrongdoers. It means criminals. It means
centers who deserves a cross centers do. To just touch on, you know, we're
gonna look at confessing Christ, okay? To just touch on confessing
Christ for a minute. Christ went to the cross for
sinners. Christ hung there in the place
of, in the stead of sinners. Why did he go to a cross? Because
he went to the place where sinners had to go. If I believe that I'm an absolute
center, if I truly believe I'm a center, then this is what I'll
say. Where's my cross? That's what I deserve. If a man
or a woman takes up his or her cross, then this is what he or
she is saying about himself or herself. Okay. This is what they're
saying. Go with me to Galatians chapter three. Galatians 3 verse 1, it says, O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before
whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified
among you? What he's saying is, why have
you gone back to the law? That's what he's saying. Why
are you not following Christ? Who is the truth? He's the truth. The truth was evidently set before
you. Why are you not looking to Christ
and Him crucified? That was plainly, clearly set
before you. Verse two, this only would I
learn of you. Received ye the spirit by the
works of the law or by the hearing of faith? What he's saying is,
did you receive the peace of God's spirit? And the rest and
the assurance of salvation that comes from God's spirit. Did
you receive that peace and that rest through you fulfilling the
law or through hearing how Christ fulfilled it for you? Which one
brought the peace of the spirit to you? Verse three. Are you
so foolish having begun in the Spirit? Are you now made perfect
by the flesh? What he's saying is if Christ
finished the work, why are you trying to go back and do it again?
Did he finish? Did he just start the work for
you to finish it or? Verse four, have you suffered
so many things in vain if it be yet in vain? He therefore
that ministereth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you,
That means the preacher that God sent to deliver the message
to you. Doeth he it by the works of the
law or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God
and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore
that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. What he's saying is Abraham just looked to Christ.
That's all Abraham did. Abraham believed God and it was
accounted unto him for righteousness. Our Lord said, Abraham saw my
day. So he said, verse seven, know you therefore that they
which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham and
the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying
in thee shall all nations be blessed in your seed. That's
Christ. So then they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham. Watch verse 10, for as many as
are of the works of the law, are under the curse. As many
as are trying to be saved and go to heaven based on doing what
the law says to do, they are under the curse. And here's the
reason why. For it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth
not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
them. You break one, that's it, you're cursed. I have broken
one. I break one. I don't know, every
10 seconds. You know, some people say, well,
I sinned twice last week. I sinned twice in the last 10
seconds. Verse 11 says, but that no man
is justified by the law and the sight of God. It's evident that
just shall live by looking at Jesus Christ. Anytime you see
that word faith, almost in all accounts, you can substitute
faith for Christ. Faith is up Christ by Christ
to Christ. We're free verse 11 again, but
that no man is justified by the law and the side of God. It's
evident for the just shall live by Christ. Verse 12 says, and the law is
not of Christ of faith, but the man that do with them shall live
in him. If you're not holding to Christ, but you're holding
to the law, then buddy, you better hold to every single one of them.
Verse 13 says, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.
This is where the peace and comfort and assurance of the Spirit comes
from. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us. For it is written, now watch
this, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. If a man takes up his cross,
or if a woman takes up her cross, what he or she is saying is,
I'm cursed. In my flesh, I'm under the curse. The curse of sin and death. The law says, cursed is everyone
that hangeth on a tree. Then give me my tree. Give me
my cross. Because in this sinful flesh,
I'm nothing but cursed. I deny me. I'm dead to me. Give me my cross. I'm dead to
me. cursed. This is one of the greatest examples
in the scripture that I know of that declares what it is to
deny self, to take up our cross and to follow Christ, to look
to Christ, to trust in Christ. Turn with me, if you would, to
Romans 7. Romans 7, verse 14, it says,
for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Paul denies himself. That's what
he's doing right there. He acknowledges himself for what
he is. He said, I'm a ruined sinner. In 1 Timothy 1, he said, I'm
the chief sinner, sold under sin, verse 15. For that which
I do, I allow not. I just don't know why. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. And what he's saying is, and
he's about to explain this, but there's a new man created in
him. fighting with an old man. And that new man wants to be
just like Jesus. That new man is Jesus Christ.
Christ in us is the hope of glory. But he says in verse 16, if then
I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it's
good. He said, I keep breaking the
law, but I acknowledge the law is good and I'm not. Verse 17,
now then it is no more I that do it, but it's sin that dwells
in me. I have a heart to be like Christ, and I don't want to do
the stuff that I do, but I'm infected with sin. Verse 18, for I know that in
me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. There's none that
doeth good. No, not one. For to will is present
with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. And
I've said it so many times, but this is God's apostle. If he's
saying this, how much more me verse 19 for the good that I
would, I do not. But the evil, which I would not
that do I, that I do. Now, if I do that, I would not,
it's no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find
then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with
me. You know, you talk about, well,
I sin every, if you do something that your mind says, well, that
was good, sin, pride. Verse 22, for I delight in the
law of God after that inward man, that new man that has been
created in the image of Christ. But I see another law in my members
warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin, which is in my members. Now this is what
he has to say about himself. Oh, wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? I take my, I'm
a, I deny myself and I take my cross. Now here's following Christ,
verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ,
our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. Our Lord told us that there's
going to be two different types of people in this world. All
right. There are gonna be those who
read that and say, that's me. Like as you read this to people
and you're gonna have some who read this and just know, that's
me. Those who read that and say,
that's me. If that is me, you know, the
flip side is some are gonna read it and say, that's not me. No,
that's not me. All right, those who read it
and say, that's me. If that's me, then this is what
I'm saying. I deny myself before God. I deny
my works. I deny my right. I deny my anything. Just name something. I deny it.
I take the cross of dying to myself. This is a body of death. In my flesh, I am dead. I'm dead to me. Our Lord said, if that's you,
then Romans chapter eight, verse one is for you. It says, there
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus
who walk not after this flesh, but after the spirit. But if
I look at that and I say, no, that's not me. No, I plead my
works and I plead my right. And I don't deny myself. I don't
slay myself. Our Lord said, then I will deny
you if you don't deny yourself. He said, I will deny you and
I'll slay you. How we respond to this is gonna
show an evidence of what God has done for us and in us. And
I do wanna say that if I, If anyone, me or anybody, reads
that and says, I can't see myself in that, beg the Lord to reveal
yourself to you. Honestly. When the Spirit comes,
the first thing he convinces of is sin. I'm telling you, God's
people are not faking it. They're not putting on a show.
They're not trying to pretend to be sinners. Buddy, they are
sinners. And they know they're sinners. And if God has not revealed that
to any of us, beg Him, Lord, reveal the truth of myself to
me. Let me see what you see, because
that's the only thing that's going to matter. I have to go
stand before you in truth. Don't let me in the lie of myself
think I'm coming ready and worthy and be shocked in that day. Every soul who denies himself,
all right, this is the evidence. that soul was denied with Christ. If I deny myself, here's the
evidence. That's the evidence of the fact
that I was denied in Christ. I was slain in Christ. This same man right here, Paul,
this is what he said. I was crucified with Christ. I was denied and I was slain
in Christ. Every soul who denies himself,
that's the evidence that that soul was denied and slain in
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's, that's the evidence of
it. But every soul who does not deny
himself, that's the evidence that that soul was not denied
and slain in Christ. And that soul is still going
to have to be denied and slain outside of Christ. Oh, may that not be us. Lord,
help us, please. May we plead Christ. Follow Christ, confess Christ. The soul who does that is gonna
be saved. Now, if the Lord is willing,
we're about to look at what it is to confess Christ, all right? This is what it is to deny self. But the Lord will, and we're
gonna look at what it is to confess Christ. But let me just leave
us with this, okay? This is just good advice. If the Lord has very graciously
caused us to deny ourselves and with this taken up our cross,
die to ourselves. If we can say, I'm dead to me. Before God, I'm dead to me. If
he has put that heart and desire in us, then let's carry that
humility that lowliness all the way through the rest of our days
on this earth before each other. If he's put that in us before
God, I'm dead to me. I deny me, I die to me, then
let's carry that on before each other, okay? Let
me read this little article to you and we'll close with this.
This is called Dying to Self. It was written by a man named
Bill Britton. But he said, and this is, again, this is just
in daily life now with each other. He said, when you are forgotten
or neglected or purposefully set at naught, and you don't
sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart
is happy, counting it worthy to suffer for Christ, that is
dying to self. When your good is evil spoken
of, when your wishes are crossed, your opinions ridiculed, and
you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend
yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence, that
is dying to self. When you lovingly and patiently
bear any disorder, any irregularity, any unpunctuality or any annoyance,
when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance,
spiritual insensibility, and endure it as the Lord Jesus endured
it, that is dying to self. When you are content with any
food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any
solitude, or any interruption by the will of God, that's dying
to self. When you never care to refer
to yourself in conversation or itch after commendation, when
you can truly love to be unknown, that's dying to self. When you
can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can
honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor
question God while your own needs are far greater and in desperate
circumstance, that is dying to self. When you can receive correction
and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, and can
humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion
or resentment rising up within your heart that is dying to self. And then he said, are you dead
yet? In these last days, the spirit would bring us to the
cross that I may know him being made conformable to his death. May the Lord cause us to die
to ourselves before God and die to ourselves before each other.
All right, you're dismissed.