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Rick shares a messaged entitled “Take Up Your Cross” at Sagemont Church. In the message he answers the following questions:

What does it mean to take up your cross?
How do you discern what your cross is?

The information from the handout Rick references can be found below.

Take Up Your Cross

What does it mean to take up your cross?

How do you discern what your cross is?

"Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me." - Luke 9:23

I. ”… be My disciple..." (+). A charge to emulate Him, on the journey toward Christ-likeness;
a. "Watch your life and doctrine closely." - 1Tim.4:16. All are a disciple of someone or some school of thought.

II. "... must deny themselves..." A call to selfless, sacrificial living;
"John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey." - Mark 1:6. Nothing worldly got in the way of his calling to prepare the way for the Lord.

Blast through BUSY-ness... "The things that keep us from God's best are not sin and imperfection, but the things that are right, good and noble from the natural standpoint." - Oswald Chambers

III. "... take up their cross..." Glorify God where He has you. Life experiences, unique gifts;
"... necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel." 1 Cor.9:16. Paul's cross;
"God does not ask us to do the things that are easy to us naturally; He only asks us to do the things we are perfectly fitted to do by His grace, and the cross will come along that line always." - Chambers.

IV. "... follow Me." Must follow His example to lead well.
a. "... the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, ..." - John 5:19.

V. Double cross icon - The cross taken up in the strength of the overarching cross of Christ; a.
Identify your cross as a function of life experiences, work history, family background - stay sensitive to what the Lord may be up to in every discussion, situation and relationship - no happenstance with God.

Conclusion: Grow as a disciple of Jesus the Christ; Rebuke BUSY-ness, create margin for right priorities; Identify your cross and take it up in His strength; and, Keep eyes focused on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2).

Questions for Reflection
1. What does "Watch your life and doctrine closely," mean to you? Biblical worldview?
2. What do you need to deny yourself of?
3. Can you create margin in the midst of BUSY-ness?
4. What cross are you uniquely fitted for? How has life equipped you for such a time as this?

How did the double cross icon hit you? Does it help with your next step in following Christ?

‘disciple' per Merriam-Webster is "one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another; a convinced adherent of a school or individual."