Matthew 10:38……….Ready

Matthew 10:38……….Ready

10:38 and anyone who does not take up his cross  (Notice Jesus didn’t say “Take up my healings, take up my teachings, take up my advice, take up my blessings, take up my crown.”) and follow me is not worthy of me. (For Complete Expository See Book) 

Extended Sermons 

“Calls for being fully commitment and surrendered to Christ. (You cant’ have one- foot in and one-foot out)” → Jesus doesn’t want halfhearted believers, but disciples who are all in. As believers you can’t follow Christ when it’s convenient or to your liking. One foot in says, “Speak, Lord.” One foot out says, “But don’t confront that part.” You can’t pursue holiness while protecting hidden habits. One foot in says, “Make me more like You Lord.” One foot out says, “But let me keep this one thing.” You can’t follow Jesus while negotiating obedience. One foot in says, “Your will be done.” One foot out says, “As long as it doesn’t cost too much.” You can’t want the benefits and blessings without embracing the cost. One foot In says “I’ll do whatever it costs”. One foot out says “As long as it doesn’t costs me too much.” You can’t walk the narrow road while keeping a foot on the wide road. One foot In says, “I want to change.” One foot out says“ But not too much.”. You can’t follow Jesus only when it’s convenient. One foot In says, “I’m ready to follow You.” One foot Out says, “But only when the path is smooth.” You can’t claim Christ’s Lordship while keeping selective obedience. One foot in says, “You are Lord.” One foot out says, “But only over the parts I choose.” You can’t keep Christ as a part of your life. One foot In says “I’ll lift my hands on Sunday” One foot Out says “But I’ll live however I want on Monday.”  You can’t surrender to Christ’s Leadership while resisting His Lordship. One foot In says, “Lead me, Lord.” One foot Out says, “But let me choose the route.” You can’t grow in grace while guarding grudges. One foot in says, “Transform my heart.” One foot out says, “But I’m keeping my resentment.” You can’t walk in freedom while flirting with bondage.” One foot in says, “Break these chains.” One foot out says, “But leave me a little slack.” You can’t embrace Christ’s mission while preserving your comfort. One foot in says, “Send me.” One foot out says, “But send me somewhere easy.”  You can’t carry the cross while protecting your image.” One foot In says, “I’ll follow You publicly.” One foot Out says, “But only if people approve. You can’t desire God’s will while dodging the growth He is working. One foot In says, “I’ll follow wherever You lead”.” One foot Out says, ”But don’t stretch me too much”  You can’t claim bold faith while practicing safe obedience. One foot In says, “I trust You fully.” One foot Out says, “But only when the risk is low.” You can’t live by faith while demanding guarantees. One foot in says, “I’ll step out.” One foot out says, “But only if You show me everything first.” You can’t grow spiritually while avoiding spiritual stretching. One foot in says, “Shape me.” One foot out says, “But don’t stretch me too much.” You can’t be a disciple in public and not one in private . One foot in says, “I’ll stand for Jesus when people are watching.” One foot Out says, “But I’ll slip back into old patterns when no one sees.”

“Calls for living out our faith openly and publicly despite the shame, ridicule. or humiliation” → In the ancient world, carrying your cross meant public shame, not just pain. A condemned person was forced to walk through crowded streets while people jeered, spat, mocked, and pointed — a slow parade of humiliation on the way to death. Everyone saw you as defeated, cursed, and rejected. And today, carrying your cross can feel painfully similar. It can mean being labeled “judgmental,” “old‑fashioned,” or “too religious.” It can mean being misunderstood by family, unfriended by friends, or quietly pushed aside at work. It can mean losing social standing, losing opportunities, or losing the approval of people you love. The outward shame has changed, but the inward cost remains: following Jesus still requires walking a path where others may misunderstand you, misjudge you, or mock you — yet you keep walking because Christ walked it first.

“Calls for putting to death the flesh and any other hidden sins that keeps us from fully following Jesus.” → Dying to the flesh is easier said then done. Dying to the flesh can be painful and difficult. Requiring you to confront parts of yourself you’d rather protect. Jesus is not describing a light adjustment, a minor behavior tweak, or a gentle self-improvement project. He’s describing a decisive break — a crucifixion of the old self. And crucifixion is never comfortable. It exposes the desires we’ve learned to hide, the habits we’ve learned to justify, and the wounds we’ve learned to cover with sinful coping mechanisms. Dying to the flesh forces you to face the parts of your heart you’ve avoided for years — the insecurities you’ve masked with pride, the loneliness you’ve numbed with distraction, the anger you’ve excused as “just how I am,” the cravings you’ve fed because they felt easier than healing. The flesh doesn’t go quietly. It resists surrender. It fights for survival. It whispers that obedience is too costly, that holiness is too extreme, that transformation is too painful.

“Even today, taking up your Cross could mean alienation from family and friends. It could mean being mocked, ridiculed, and made fun of. Taking up your Cross could mean the daily internal struggles and battles of the flesh. Taking up your cross could mean persecution, prison, or even death.” ⇔ Taking up the Cross looks different for each person  My Cross may not look the same as your Cross.  Your Cross might be standing firm with your family, while mine might be standing firm with my coworkers. (Same obedience, different battlefield.) Your Cross might be letting go of a relationship you wanted, while my Cross might be letting go of a reputation I wanted. (Same surrender, different attachment). Your Cross might be speaking up, while my Cross my be staying silent. (Same courage, different expression.) Your Cross might be walking away from old habits, while my Cross might be walking into new responsibilities. (Same transformation, different direction.) Your Cross might be trusting God with finances, while my  Cross might be trusting God with family tension. (Same faith, different pressure points.) Your Cross might be forgiving someone who hurt you, while my Cross might be asking forgiveness from someone I hurt. (Same humility, different posture.) Your Cross might be resisting temptation, while my Cross might be resisting bitterness. (Same fight, different enemy.) Your Cross might be losing friends because of obedience, while my Cross might be losing opportunities because of obedience. (Same cost, different currency.) Your Cross might be resisting the urge to drink again, while my Cross might be resisting the urge to look at something I shouldn’t. Your Cross might be fighting the pull toward anger, while my Cross might be fighting the pull toward depression and hopelessness. Your Cross might be resisting sexual temptation, while my Cross might be resisting the temptation to lie, hide, or manipulate. different. Your Cross might be deleting numbers, blocking contacts, avoiding places, while my Cross might be deleting apps, avoiding websites, guarding my eyes. Your Cross might be resisting the urge to explode in anger, while my Cross might be resisting the urge to withdraw into isolation. Your Cross might be resisting the temptation to overspend or gamble, while my Cross might be resisting the temptation to overeat or numb out.

WHAT TAKING UP YOUR CROSS LOOK LIKE TODAY

• It means forgiving even when you don’t feel like forgiving.

• It It means loving people who are hard to love, being kind to people who annoy you.

• It means choosing forgiveness when revenge feels easier.

• It means saying yes to God’s call even if it costs you popularity.

• It means speaking truth when silence would protect your reputation.

• It means choosing purity and obedience even when it’s unpopular.

• It means staying true to God’s Word even when culture is going in the wrong direction.

• It means staying faithful to Jesus even when it costs us friends, opportunities, and comfort.

• It means trusting Jesus in the middle of suffering.

• It means holding your tongue when you have the right to complain.

• It means sharing the Gospel even when it’s awkward and uncomfortable

• It means choosing holiness when compromise would make life easier.

• It means saying no to sin even when no one is watching.

• It means obeying God even when obedience feels slow, unseen, or unrewarded.

• It means staying silent and letting God defend you when your flesh wants to prove a point

More Notes & Applications

Calls for a radical faith that is all-ln for Jesus. (Is there something in your life holding you back from being sold out to Jesus?)

Calls for letting go of control in running our lives or way to letting God run it His way.

Calls for surrendering to all that God wants. Going wherever He wants us to go, doing whatever He wants us to do.

Calls for turning from self-rule and self-centeredness to Christ-rule and Christ-centeredness.

Calls for asking what needs to die in me so that Christ can live more fully through me?

Calls for a declaration that says my life is over and now belongs to Jesus.

Calls for dethroning that part of us that wants to be self-governing and self-determining.

Calls for coming with open hands, going wherever Jesus wants us to go. Doing whatever Jesus wants us to do.

Teaches the moment you “take up your cross,” you’re putting and end to self-rule and self-autonomy.

Calls for asking what things are we still holding onto that needs to be laydown in the service of the Lord?

Teaches how following Jesus is not a one time decision but a life long commitment that’s fully engaged.

Teaches how there’s no small print with Jesus, He’s always up front with us in what it will mean to follow Him and serve Him.

Warns if your discipleship costs nothing what is that saying to the world of your worth and value of Jesus?

Warns you can’t get Christianity on the cheap, there’s a cost involved that demands all of your life!

Teaches how there’s much more in being a disciple than just click and subscribe.

Teaches Christianity is more than punching our ticked to heaven.

Calls for understanding the terms and costs of what we’re signing up for and still saying yes.

Teaches how Jesus will never asks us to do something He is unwilling to do Himself.

Teaches how there comes a time for moving into a deeper and more obedient relationship with God.

Teaches how taking up your cross means trading your small, everyday plans for God’s big plans.

Teaches when we remember who Christ is and all He’s done, the sacrifices we make will seem as no sacrifice at all.

Teaches how picking up the cross means showing the same kind  of love, grace, and forgiveness that Jesus showed us when He picked up His cross.

Note: The cross here was a symbol of Roman execution. In the ancient world crucifixion was the vilest, most shameful and painful form of death, reserved for the worst of criminals. A condemned person after they were stripped naked and whipped to an inch of their life. They would have to carry the crossbeam on their back through the streets on their way to the place of execution. As they carried their cross they would mocked by the crowds. They would experience public humiliation as they began their death march to the place of execution.  The cross wasn’t simply a means of execution. There are a lot of easier ways to kill people. But rather the purpose of the cross was to ultimately humiliate, shame, and set an example in deterring others from revolting against Rome. Historians estimate that over 30,000 people were crucified by the Romans during Jesus’ lifetime. When Jesus talks about taking up ones cross. The disciples having seen this numerous times. Would not have pictured this as putting up with some inconvenience, “This is the cross I have to bear.”. They would have understood this as a march towards death and a sign of shame and humiliation. For believers we may never and probably won’t be called to die for Christ. But we are called to willingly bear shame, reproach, humiliation, suffering, hatred, alienation as we follow Jesus.

Note: Taking up our cross is not a burden but a liberating act. The Cross is never the end. It is the gateway to new life. Whatever dies at the cross makes room for what God wants to resurrect in you—peace, purity, courage, clarity, freedom, etc. Taking up the cross may involve suffering, but it also draws us closer to the Lord. It’s suffering yes, but it’s not worth comparing to the glory that awaits us. It’s about living a life that is fully submitted to Christ, embracing the sacrifices and hardships that come with following Him. It involves both outward acts of service and inward journeys of holiness. The motivation to pick up our cross comes from understanding the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. He left heaven, took on human flesh, and died on the cross for our sins. The more we grasp the magnitude of His love and grace, the more willing we are to take up our own cross.

Note: The costs & hardships in carrying the Cross can look different from one person to the next, depending on the person and work God’s calling us too. For you: The cost might be losing people you deeply love because your obedience exposes their compromise. (You pay the price in relational pain.). For me: The cost might be being surrounded by people who stay, but who constantly misunderstand, criticize, or question my devotion. (I pay the price in emotional exhaustion.) For you: The cost might be being labeled extreme, mocked, or dismissed by people who once respected you.. For me: The cost might be being quietly ignored, overlooked, or treated as irrelevant because I refuse to play the world’s game. For you: The cost might be stepping into difficult places — serving, leading, confronting, standing firm when it’s uncomfortable. For me: The cost might be letting go of comfortable escapes — habits, entertainment, coping mechanisms — that Jesus puts His finger on. For you: The cost might be laying down a dream you’ve carried for years, because Jesus redirects your path. For me: The cost might be letting go of the dream of a quiet, predictable life, because Jesus keeps calling me into places that stretch me. (Same calling — different dreams placed on the altar.) For you: The cost might be pouring yourself out for people, giving hours, energy, and attention when you feel drained.  For me: The cost might be waiting, sitting in seasons where nothing moves, nothing changes, and obedience looks like patience. (Same faithfulness — different time burdens.) For you: The cost might be fighting temptations that hit hard, that demand daily resistance and spiritual warfare. For me: The cost might be fighting discouragement, doubt, or heaviness — internal battles that drain strength even when life looks stable on the outside. (Same spiritual war — different battlefields.) For you: The cost might be obeying Jesus publicly, taking stands that draw attention and pushback. For me: The cost might be obeying Jesus privately, in hidden places where no one sees, and no one affirms. (Same Lord — different obedience pressures.)

Note: When Jesus says, “follow me,” He is not just calling us to hang out with Him, or tag along, but to a devout, different, and dedicated life. Many think becoming a Christian means simply adding Jesus to their life.  In other words, they keep, for the most part, living their lives the same with Jesus now added into the mix. Oh, they’ may have changed a few things perhaps, but it’s still their lives and their will and their ways. They may listen to Christian radio, speak the language, and hang out with Christians, but is this is not what Jesus had in mind for His followers. Being a Christian does not automatically make a person a Christ-follower. Just as there’s a difference between being a spectator and a player, there’s a difference between being a “fan” and a true follower of Jesus. “Many who call themselves Christians may have walked an aisle, said a prayer, read their Bible, listened to worship music, and perhaps been brought up in a Christian home, but are they Christ followers? Being a Christ follower comes at a great cost.