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​​​                                                               “What it Means to Take Up Your Cross”

 

Matthew 16:24 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.

 

Jesus took up his cross for us. However, we often fail to do the same. For some, it’s about the persecution. However, persecution comes in many forms.

 

Persecution:

-to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religious or political beliefs, ethnic or racial origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

 

-to annoy or trouble persistently.

 

The disciples of Christ did suffer persecution in the form of death. Many followers of Christ faced death. While we pray for that not to happen. We must be ready if it does. Will you hold fast to the Lord, even if it means losing your life? Or will you reject him so you can live?

 

Know  where you will spend eternity as you make your decision. None of us want our life to come to an end, but if you reject the Lord, your eternity will be in torment forever. 

 

Remain faithful so when you exit this world, the Lord will receive you in his rest for eternity.  Don’t allow yourself to sell out to the evil of this world.

 

Matthew 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. (KJV)

 

How can we be worthy of the Lord if we won’t take up our cross and follow him? 

To follow him means we will face backlash, persecution, hate, and mockery. 

 

It also means we are to follow his word and be obedient to it. If you have been a Christian for some time, then you are aware of what this means. Let go of sin.

 

For the new Christian, it means all of those things we did in flesh, sin to satisfy flesh, it must come to an end. It is called living a holy life.

 

1 Peter 4:1-2

1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

 

1 Peter 4:1-5 NLT

[1] So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 

 

1Peter 4:2 You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 

 

1Peter 4:3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy-their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. 

 

1Peter 4:4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 

 

1Peter 4:5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.

 

This is what it means to take up your cross.

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I believe people are fearful of dying. I also think they truly struggle with giving up sin. If we ask, people will come up with a vast number of excuses to justify how they live their lives. In truth there is no reason, no excuse to continue in sin.

 

Once we learn that something we do is sin, it should be stopped. The best reference is the word of God. He tells us what we should not do. For anyone to continue to make excuses is pointless. Excuses only satisfy the people who make them.

 

Mark 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (KJV)

 

Luke 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (KJV)

 

He says, if we are to come after him, we must take up our cross, follow him. And we must deny ourselves.👇🏽

 

Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (KJV)

 

This scripture- Luke 14:27 is where we stumble. It says:

‘And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’

 

A lot of people believe they are following after him. But they have not picked up their cross. That is why we have people in the pulpit committing gross misconduct. 

 

They want to perpetuate being a follower of God, but they continue to live in the sin they should have laid down at the feet of Christ.

 

I bring back 👇🏽

1 Peter 4:1-2

1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

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It says in:

2 Timothy 3:12-14 NLT

[12] Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 

 

2Timothy 3:13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. 

 

2Timothy 3:14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 

 

You may be one of the fortunate ones in your church, and this sort of thing has not happened. But there are many who have. We have seen many of them on the news.

 

I repeat 👇🏽

 

1Thessalonians 2:4 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 

 

This should be our priority in serving our Lord to teach and reach others.

 

John 7:14-18

John 7:14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

John 7:15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

John 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

 

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ taught by the Doctrine of God.

For those of us who preach and teach the word of God.  Who are we to do it different than how Jesus did it?

For all who come to hear the word, study the word to show yourself approved. (2Timothy 2:15)

 

2 Timothy 2:15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

 

The Lord follows the doctrine of the spirit one who sent him. Who are we to deceive anyone with the word of God.

Those who do, should be very afraid. 

 

My closing player:

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Lord, giving the word, receiving the word, let us only accept what is coming from your word. Your anointing  flows through the speaker and touches  our spirit. Allow discernment to rule in our spirit as we listen to what is being spoken regarding your word. In the name of Jesus, amen.

 

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Dictionary References:
AMG's Annotated Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
of the Old Testament
Additional materials in the dictionary were taken from The 
Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament by Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter (c) 2003 by AMG publishers. All Rights Reserved.

AMG's Annotated Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
of the New Testament
Additional materials in this dictionary were taken from the Complete Word Study Dictionary:  New Testament compiled by Spiros Zodhiates.
(c)1992 by AMG publishers. All Rights Reserved.

 

Dictionary.com

Version 12.0.5-44(C) 

IXL Learning 2025

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Bible References:
The Hebrew-Greek key Word Study Bible
KJV 2nd Revised  Edition
(c) 1984, 1990,2008 By AMG International Inc.
All Rights Reserved

Life Application Bible
New International Version
Tyndale House publishers inc. and Zondervan Publishing House
(c) 1988,1989,1990,1991,1995 by Tyndale House Publishers inc.
Wheaton, Il 60189 All Rights Reserved

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The Complete 100 Book Apocrypha 

Expanded 2024 Edition 

Literal Standard Version (LSV)

(C) 2022, 2024 by Covenant Press of the Covenant Christian Coalition 

http://www.lsvbible.com 

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Electronic Bible Apps:

NIV Bible App Life Bibles Tecarta.com (c)2023

Life Application study Bible, NLT Tecarta Version 7.16.22019

E-sword LT​ Rick Meyers (c) 2025