"ONE LIFE TO LOSE"
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What does it mean to you when you hear the words "Lose your life for My sake"?
What comes to your mind?
Do you think about the disciples of Christ, all of whom lost there lives by being killed for the sake of the gospel?
Maybe you think back on the time you spoke up for something you knew was true, based on your faith, and what the Bible clearly teaches, and you were made fun of, or lost your spot in the 'in crowd'?
What do you think of when you think of 'loss'?
What would be a genuine 'loss', in your life?
Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery.' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness, ' 'Honor your father and your mother' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'."
The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19: 16 - 22
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10: 32 - 39
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Luke 9: 23 & 26
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
I Corinthians 3: 11 - 15
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
I John 2: 15 - 17
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12: 24 7 25
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Phillipians 3: 7 & 8
Christ left heaven - Psalms 45 - Ivory Palaces - and was willing to come to this earth AND
willing to go to the cross - Isaiah 53 AND
willing to give His life AND
willing to become sin - He Who knew no sin - willing to become sin, that we might have the righteousness of God in Him
But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ dies for us. Much more than, having now been JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Paul said he was 'being poured out as a drink offering' . . .
Perhaps you have set priorities, based on your faith and the importance to you, of following Christ, and this has led to the loss of your job or
You have less money because you have prioritized time with your family and church, so you make do with less than you would have otherwise been able to earn and provide for your family, of this world's goods.
Perhaps you have lost a loved one to an early death - a parent or sibling or a child - and you are holding on to your faith, knowing that the loss is temporary
Perhaps to 'lose your life' means to faithfully abide in the position that God has placed you, persevering and striving to walk by the Spirit every day, every hour, trusting The Lord for the ability to control your tongue, or to be 'swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger', knowing that it is the fruit of the Spirit that really tells whether or not a person is a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says: 'Can a sweet well provide bitter water or can a bitter well provide sweet water?!'' James 3
Perhaps you have lost your job or your business and you are trusting God anyway, though you do not understand why such difficult and painful things have happened in your life
Perhaps you have given up your rights to justice or fairness or
Perhaps you have given up your need to be rich and own and possess as much as possible, in order to prove how important you are
Perhaps your spouse has been unfair or unfaithful and you have chosen to endure this, not willing to leave your spouse, trusting God to work His work in your life and in your relationship
One way or another, you have 'lost' your life - you have accepted, while keeping your faith, while continuing to trust, less than you thought you were entitled to or felt certain you would have, in this life.
What is loss for you?
In your understanding - in your view - how have you 'lost your life for the sake of Christ'?
Or do you feel you have not 'lost your life' for the sake of Christ? Perhaps that is what you struggle with, more than anything. Perhaps you question or wonder or agonize, even, over this. Perhaps there is a part of you that hopes you will have the opportunity to give your life for Christ. Or maybe, by now, you are concerned that you may NOT have the opportunity to give your life for Christ.
Sing Praise To The Lord
Mark Chandler
<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XuQxmRTEq9I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
What does it mean to you when you hear the words "Lose your life for My sake"?
What comes to your mind?
Do you think about the disciples of Christ, all of whom lost there lives by being killed for the sake of the gospel?
Maybe you think back on the time you spoke up for something you knew was true, based on your faith, and what the Bible clearly teaches, and you were made fun of, or lost your spot in the 'in crowd'?
What do you think of when you think of 'loss'?
What would be a genuine 'loss', in your life?
Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery.' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness, ' 'Honor your father and your mother' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'."
The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19: 16 - 22
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10: 32 - 39
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Luke 9: 23 & 26
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
I Corinthians 3: 11 - 15
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
I John 2: 15 - 17
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12: 24 7 25
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Phillipians 3: 7 & 8
Christ left heaven - Psalms 45 - Ivory Palaces - and was willing to come to this earth AND
willing to go to the cross - Isaiah 53 AND
willing to give His life AND
willing to become sin - He Who knew no sin - willing to become sin, that we might have the righteousness of God in Him
But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ dies for us. Much more than, having now been JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Paul said he was 'being poured out as a drink offering' . . .
Perhaps you have set priorities, based on your faith and the importance to you, of following Christ, and this has led to the loss of your job or
You have less money because you have prioritized time with your family and church, so you make do with less than you would have otherwise been able to earn and provide for your family, of this world's goods.
Perhaps you have lost a loved one to an early death - a parent or sibling or a child - and you are holding on to your faith, knowing that the loss is temporary
Perhaps to 'lose your life' means to faithfully abide in the position that God has placed you, persevering and striving to walk by the Spirit every day, every hour, trusting The Lord for the ability to control your tongue, or to be 'swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger', knowing that it is the fruit of the Spirit that really tells whether or not a person is a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says: 'Can a sweet well provide bitter water or can a bitter well provide sweet water?!'' James 3
Perhaps you have lost your job or your business and you are trusting God anyway, though you do not understand why such difficult and painful things have happened in your life
Perhaps you have given up your rights to justice or fairness or
Perhaps you have given up your need to be rich and own and possess as much as possible, in order to prove how important you are
Perhaps your spouse has been unfair or unfaithful and you have chosen to endure this, not willing to leave your spouse, trusting God to work His work in your life and in your relationship
One way or another, you have 'lost' your life - you have accepted, while keeping your faith, while continuing to trust, less than you thought you were entitled to or felt certain you would have, in this life.
What is loss for you?
In your understanding - in your view - how have you 'lost your life for the sake of Christ'?
Or do you feel you have not 'lost your life' for the sake of Christ? Perhaps that is what you struggle with, more than anything. Perhaps you question or wonder or agonize, even, over this. Perhaps there is a part of you that hopes you will have the opportunity to give your life for Christ. Or maybe, by now, you are concerned that you may NOT have the opportunity to give your life for Christ.
Sing Praise To The Lord
Mark Chandler
