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July 7, 2024

Take Up Your Cross

Sermon Series:

It Had To Be Said

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Mark 8:31-38

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Main Idea

Jesus' disciples follow the way of the cross, not the way of the world

Outline

1. Save It vs Lose It (vv34-35)
2. The World vs Your Soul (vv36-37)
3. Shame before God vs Shame before People (v38)

Pre-Questions

Can you share a moment in your life when you had to make a difficult decision that went against popular opinion or societal norms? What was the outcome?

Discussion Questions

1. Read Mark 8:31-38. What did Jesus predict about His own future in verse 31? How did this differ from the common expectations of the Messiah at the time?
2. How does Peter’s reaction in verses 32-33 highlight a common misunderstanding about the nature of Jesus’ mission?
3. In what ways does Jesus’ call to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” (v. 34) challenge contemporary values of self-fulfillment and personal success?
4. What does it mean to “gain the whole world but forfeit your soul” (v. 36)? Can you think of examples where this principle is evident in today’s society?
5. Reflect on a time when following Jesus required you to deny yourself or make a sacrifice. How did you respond, and what was the outcome?
6. What are some “crosses” you might be called to bear in your daily life? How can you find strength and encouragement in these challenges?

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