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कृपया आपण  आपल्या प्रार्थना विनंती ०९८५०५२७४१९ अथवा pastor.swapniln@rediffmail.com  वर पाठवावे.

 आपल्यासाठी आम्ही  जरूर प्रार्थना करू.

Glorifying Jesus Through Costly Discipleship

By  Stephen Venable

I.  Glorifying Jesus by following Him in truth

…saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” 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. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? Lk 9:22-25

Our goal is to examine the meaning of the passage and the heart of discipleship that Jesus is trying to convey through four key phrases from this text: “come after Me”, “let him deny himself”, “take up his cross daily”, and “for My sake.”

A.                COME AFTER ME

He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me…

1.                  Remembering the Person Talking

When we continue reading and hear the intensity of what Jesus beckons us to, we must keep in mind Who it is that says these words. Jesus is so devastatingly severe, but He is the kindest Man you will ever know – full of love, desire, and gladness. Thus, we can and must know that there is nothing harsh or angry in His commands toward His people.

2.                  The Invitation to Imitation: Discipleship is Conformity to a Person

a.       The context of Jesus’ summons for His disciples to deny themselves, to die daily, and to lose their life is His own sober declaration that rejection, persecution, and death was His own path. Verses 23-26 cannot be separate from verse 21-22.

b.      To be His disciple (to be a Christian) is not an abstract lifestyle – it is to be like Him. While this includes many things, the focus of this passage is on following Jesus on the path of sacrifice, loss, and death.

By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶ the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. I John 2:6

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps. I Peter 2:21

^My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you… Gal 4:19

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh… Romans 13:14

c.       The single, greatest crisis that stands before the Church is that the belief and practice of what is called Christianity is drifting further and further from the identity, the teaching, the life, and the work of Jesus Christ.

d.      Related to discipleship, it is becoming normal for a lifestyle to be championed and endorsed that does not conform to Jesus’ example, does not agree with His teaching, and that does not bring Him glory.

e.       At the judgment seat there is only one standard of righteousness and one version of Christianity that God will endorse and approve of: that which is built on the foundation of Christ and Him crucified – a life that mirrors and magnifies Jesus.

^11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (I Cor 2:2 – Christ and Him crucified) ^12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ^13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day (the Day of the LORD) will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. I Corinthians 3:11-13

B.                 DENY YOURSELF

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself...

1.                  The Most Fundamental Question of our Existence

With these words Jesus has something far deeper in view than merely abstaining from things we like. He is speaking to the most fundamental questions of our existence: why were we created? why are we breathing right now? why did we wake up this morning?

a.       The foundation of reality from the biblical perspective is that all things exist for the glory of God. Sinful man exists entirely for himself rather than God. This is the root of all depravity and wickedness. Our culture is potently narcissistic (self-absorbed & self-consumed).

b.      Through these words, Jesus is calling for a complete reorientation of our entire existence. In order to be in relationship with Him, one must completely renounce all self-service and deny (or lose) their very life itself and instead exist for His sake.

Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,  ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.  ²⁷ “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:26-27

c.       What Jesus demands is love so consuming and allegiance so fierce that all things are brought into submission and made subservient to the singular cause of the glorification of Another.

d.      It is a radical, violent renunciation of self-affirmation, self-promotion, self-ambition, self-preservation, and self-gratification for the sake of love for Jesus and the renown of His name. Stated positively, it is a passion for His glory that consumes all other motivations and pursuits, such that all things in our life serve Him rather than ourselves.

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. I Cor 10:31

2.                  Denying Self-Denial

a.       We must be keenly aware that the way the Christian life is often presented in our day militates against actual adherence to Jesus’ words. Instead of calling us to deny ourselves, Jesus is almost always presented as the one who affirms ourselves.

b.      His virtue is often extolled precisely only through the benefits He will bring to us. Some groups emphasize the forgiveness of our sins, some emphasize the size of our bank accounts, some the quality of our marriage, some the healing of our body, some revival, some the emotional satisfaction of our soul, and some the morality of our society.

c.       Some of these emphases are biblical ideas and some are not. Yet the motivation of the messages still largely flows from the same spring of narcissism. In all of them, Jesus is seen as the means to whatever we imagine will bring human well-being and fulfillment.

d.      In our hearts we believe that God exists for us rather than us existing for Him. Whereas the gifts of God, which are too bountiful to number, exist to lead us into the exaltation of the Giver, we have instead come to believe that the Giver exists to bestow the gifts.

e.       Instead of denial of self for His sake we have created, marketed, and preached a message of Jesus existing for affirmation of self for our sake. This is the systemic problem we face when we try to grapple with these words and their meaning.

f.       Rather than the Cross being presented as our path to follow for His sake, it is presented as the path He walked in order to secure pleasure and leisure for our sake. This is insanity.

C.                 TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY

…let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

1.                  Meaning

a.       When seen in its ancient context, this phrase has only one possible meaning. This meaning has different applications, but there is no question what Jesus was referring to.

b.      The only time someone would actually carry their cross in the ancient Roman empire was after they had been sentenced/condemned to death. From wherever the sentencing occurred, they would carry the crossbeam to place of their execution – just as Jesus did.

c.       For those who follow Jesus, every day is supposed to be a death-march. It is clear from the New Testament that the apostles understood Jesus’ command in all of its sober literalness. Paul directly refers to these words from Jesus at least five times in describing his own life:

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— ¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. II Cor 4:7-11

⁹ For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death…¹⁰ We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! ¹¹ To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless…We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.¹⁴ I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you… ¹⁶ Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 1 Corinthians 4:9-16

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  Romans 8:35-36

Why are we also in danger every hour?  ³¹ I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. I Corinthians 15:30-31

d.      Paul experienced “needs”, “distresses”, “stripes”, “imprisonments”, “tumults”, “labors”, “sleeplessness”, “many tribulations”, “chains”, “hunger and thirst”, “nakedness” and said he was “poorly clothed”, “beaten”, “homeless”, “defamed”, “reviled”, “struck down”, “chastened”, “dying”, and “poor”.

2.                  Normal Christianity

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you… I Peter 4:12-14

a.       When our comfort, convenience, honor, or well-being are no longer legitimate criteria for decision making, the result is a life that joyfully descends into the crucible of suffering so that His glory might be seen more brightly. Paul not only suffered far more than us for Jesus, he had far more joy in Jesus than we do.

b.      The very clear relationship that is stated over and over again in the New Testament is that the apostles understood their suffering and that of the Church to be a living out of the sufferings of Christ- just as Jesus said of true discipleship. (Acts 9:15-6, Col 1:24, II Cor 1:5)

c.       Put simply, if our discipleship is to be Christoform, it must be cruciform for all believers until the Day of LORD. Just as He suffered before entering into His glory, we must do the same.

d.      Sacrifice for the name of Jesus, suffering persecution, and martyrdom are not radical, missional, or eschatological – they are normal. These things are tragic, sober, and profoundly difficult but they are to be expected as part of the normal life of the Christian as they follow Jesus and are conformed to Him.

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. II Timothy 3:12

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. John 15:19-21

…and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Rom 8:17

e.       We must soberly ask if the absence of persecution in America is due to a fundamental change in the world or rather a reflection of the relative impotency of our choices and our witness. Has the world gotten less evil or have we suburbanized godliness? Have we subtly put up boundary lines on where and when evangelism can happen in order to ensure that we are protected from tribulation and persecution?

3.                  Practical Application

From the heart posture of violent resistance to all forms of selfishness, we must be compelled into a willingness and readiness to make deeply sacrificial choices and costly decisions that radically undermine our comfort, honor, and convenience:

a.       Sacrificing pleasure, quantity, and frequency in what we eat

b.      Sacrificing our time to use it for devotion to Jesus and love for others

c.       Sacrificing our money so that we suffer loss and we are able to be rich toward God and the things on His heart

d.      Putting the needs of others above our own, even when that is costly to our comfort

e.       Loving our enemies to our own hurt and loss as a witness of the truth of Jesus

f.       Choosing to minister to those who cannot repay us (the outcast and the marginalized) instead of those who will honor us for our service

g.       Standing for truth (in love and gentleness) before His people even when it causes offense and the loss of our reputation

h.      Declaring the gospel of Christ faithfully, even when it could result in mocking, beating, or our own death (either domestically or in foreign missions)

D.                FOR HIS SAKE

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, ⁹ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; ¹¹ in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11

1.                  The question that remains is “how?” How do we actually overcome the mountain of self-preservation to live a sacrificial lifestyle that brings glory to Jesus? The fulfillment of Luke 9:23-26 in our lives hinges completely on three words: for His sake.

2.                  The fuel for a life of sacrifice and costly obedience is the revelation of the glory of Jesus crashing in upon the weakness of the human heart. Paul, in a direct commentary on Luke 9:23-26, offers a window into how he could lose everything and call it refuse or dung. The key was the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.

3.                  The glory of Jesus is both the motivation for embracing sacrifice and the goal or outcome of it in God’s design. He is magnified through the sacrificial love of His people as they suffer for His name’s sake with joyful hearts.

4.                  In this light we can see that the reason Jesus’ call to discipleship finds so little resonance in the modern Church is not because Luke 9:23-26 is difficult to understand. Rather, it is because the glorious, majestic Christ of the Bible that conquered the hearts of those young men who sat with Him on the road to Caeserea Philippi is a virtual stranger to us.

5.                  Conversely, the ultimate remedy to our almost complete neglect of Jesus’  words is to seek Him, to know Him, to see Him, to treasure Him, and adore Him as He is worthy of. In time, the beauty of Jesus will constrain even our frail hearts into total, unreserved abandonment to His preeminence in all things.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ^16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ^17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist…that in all things He may have the preeminence. Colossians 1:15-18

I.                   The relevance of suffering

A.                Normal Christianity

Just as instances of miraculous deliverance, provision, protection, and healing are part of the normal Christian life in this age, so also is suffering of various kinds and degrees. And just as the LORD has a design to magnify Jesus in displaying His miraculous power, He also has a design to magnify Jesus in restraining His power. The glory of God is in the face of Christ as exalted King and Suffering Servant.

1.                   The Afflicted Way

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14

¹¹ …and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. Job 42:11

 I know, O LORD…that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Psalm 119:75

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome… Jn 16:33

¹² Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Tim 3:10-12

Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:19

2.                   God’s Design

a.       The common idea that obedience and faithfulness to Jesus in this age will result in a consistent ascent of comfort in domestic affairs, peace in relationships, and popularity or favorable recognition in ministry is foreign to the New Testament. The question is not if we will suffer, but rather when and how.

b.       Having this delusion shattered is necessary if we are to glorify Christ in the midst of it and if our hearts are to persevere through it. To persist in error related to God’s leadership and suffering will leave one either offended with God (for not fulfilling His supposed obligation to procure our comfort) or condemning themselves (for the supposed sin or unbelief that has caused it).

… ³⁶ Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. ³⁹ And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith…  Hebrew 11:36-40

c.       All hardship we face comes with the promise that the tender compassion of Jesus is with us in it, the assurance of the ultimate eradication of it, and the confidence that God has a design for it – a design for His glory and for our good.

B.                 Tribulation and Great Tribulation

1.                   Remembering  the Context of Our Lives: the Nature of the Present Age

…who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age… Galatians 1:4 (cf. Rom 13:12, II Cor 4:4, Eph 5: 15-16, Eph 6:12, II Peter 1:19, II Pet 3:11-13)

a.       We live in an age of darkness and wickedness, looking for the dawning of the age of light and righteousness. As such, God’s outward reward for righteousness and His judgment of wickedness is for the most part (not completely) restrained.

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. ²² Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil…But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.²⁵ Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep ²⁶ Woe to you when all men speak well of you… Luke 6:22-26

b.       We are commanded to set our hope fully on the Day of the LORD when He will judge all things. Lacking a clear vision of the return of Jesus we inadvertently misappropriate the promises of the age to come into the present evil age – this blurring is disastrous.

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ… I Pet 1:13

^ …teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ^13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ… Titus 2:11-13

2.                   The End of this Age

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”… Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake…For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. ^And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. Matthew 24:3, 9, 21-22

It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. Revelation 13:7 (cf. Rev 6:9-11, Daniel 12:7)

a.       The biblical presentation of life in this age is tribulation unto great tribulation. Due to the circumstantial ease we experience in the West, we often view that suffering is normative for the 1^st century and the last, but that in between it is not to be expected.

b.       This stark dichotomy between the present-day and the end of the age is both unbiblical and extremely myopic historically. Furthermore, it inevitably leads to a romanticizing of suffering in its eschatological context.

c.       At the end of the age Jesus is going to cause a global humanitarian crisis beyond what our minds can fathom and lead His people into that crucible of suffering and persecution so that they might bear witness of His glory to the peoples of the earth.

d.       If we are offended at Jesus leading us into suffering right now, we will even more so when we are hurled into wars, pestilence, famine, and martyrdom. And if we do not understand how to glorify Jesus in suffering now, we will have little capacity to glorify Him then.

II.                Glorifying Jesus in the midst of suffering

A.                The Challenge of the New Testament

⁴⁰ …when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹ So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Acts 5:40-41

^22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. ^23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely… ^25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ^Acts 16:22-25

^2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ^3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3 (cf. Romans 5:3-4)

²⁴ I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church. Colossians 1:24

⁶ And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit…  1 Thessalonians 1:6

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven…But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you… Luke 6:22-28

B.                 The Phenomenon of Sacrificial Love & Joy in Suffering

1.                   We want to avoid suffering at all costs, using whatever resources we have to stay immune from its reach – even at the expense of others. And when our options are depleted and we finally must succumb to it, our response typically borders on the total opposite of the Bible.

2.                   If our plans are disrupted, if we are unrecognized, overlooked or mistreated, if we are inconvenienced and our aspirations thwarted by the needs of others, if we experience sickness or pain, if our comfort is stripped from us, and if we are suddenly hemmed in by limitation, our primary reaction is anger.

3.                   It may be the quiet anger of resentment, the cold anger of hard-heartedness, the conniving anger of manipulation, or the burning anger of rage, but it is not joy. If this is the case as those who sincerely love Jesus, what of the unregenerate man?

C.                 Magnifying Jesus & God’s Design

The contrast between the biblical reaction to suffering and that which is common to man explains why pain and persecution is such fertile ground for magnifying Christ.

1.                   Two primary (not only) ways that we magnify Jesus in this age while He is not with us are: 1) by rejoicing in Him in the midst of suffering; and 2) by mourning for Him in the midst of ease. These two acts both expose the worthlessness of what has captured the devotion of humanity and the exceeding worthiness of Jesus to capture the devotion of humanity.

2.                   When we shed tears of joy in the midst of sickness, or beatings, or mistreatment, or pain of any kind, it reveals that whatever was lost through those things does not compare to the beauty of who Jesus is – a treasure which we possess and can never lose.

3.                   When we weep with longing in the midst of circumstantial comfort it declares that the pleasures of this life are fundamentally insufficient and paltry compared to how infinitely precious Jesus is.

III.             the fellowship of suffering: the apostolic heart & the glory of Jesus

A.                The Invitation to Imitation – Self-Denial for the Glory of Christ

…saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” 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. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? Lk 9:22-25

1.                   Denying Self-Denial

a.       When considering these familiar words from Jesus we must be keenly aware that the way the Christian life is often presented in our day militates against actual adherence to them. Instead of calling us to deny ourselves, Jesus is almost always presented as the one who affirms ourselves.

b.       His virtue is often extolled precisely through the benefits He will bring to our health, our relationships, our finances, and our emotions. Jesus is preached as the one who will give us a good life and lead us to the fulfillment we have vainly sought through the things of the world. Self-denial has been diluted to where it is simply abstaining from utter indulgence and opulence.

c.       Instead of denial of self for His sake we are at risk adopting a message of Jesus existing for affirmation of self for our sake. Ultimately the question we must face is this: how can we respond to the command to sacrifice the very things that are constantly presented as the benefits of Christianity?

2.                   The Surpassing Worth of Jesus

^25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ^26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ^27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:26-27

a.       What Jesus demands is love so consuming and allegiance so fierce that all things in are brought into submission and made subservient to the singular cause of the glorification of Another.

b.       It is a radical, violent renunciation of self-affirmation, self-promotion, self-ambition, and self-gratification for the sake of love for Jesus and the renown of His name. Stated positively, it is a passion for His glory that subsumes all other motivations and pursuits, such that all things serve Him rather than ourselves (cf. I Corinthians 10:31).

c.       When our comfort, convenience, honor, or well-being are no longer legitimate criteria for decision making, the result is a life that joyfully descends into the crucible of suffering so that His glory might be seen more brightly.

Luke 9:22-31

Philippians 3:7-21

…saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” 23 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. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 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… 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.” 28 Now it came to pass…that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish…

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 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 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me… 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body…

B.                 The Apostolic Embodiment of True Discipleship

1.                   The Fellowship of Suffering

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you… I Peter 4:12-14

a.       The very simple relationship that is stated over and over again in the New Testament is that the apostles understood their suffering and that of the Church to be a living out of the sufferings of Christ- just as Jesus said of true discipleship. (cf. Acts 9:15-16, Col 1:24, II Cor 1:5, II Cor 4:10)

b.       Put simply, if our discipleship is to be Christoform, it must be cruciform until the Day of LORD. And just as He suffered before entering into His glory, we must do the same.  

c.       Repeatedly this is fellowship of suffering is said to be “for His sake”, referring once again to the quintessential call to discipleship from Jesus and the purpose of magnifying Him.

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake… Phil 1:29 (cf. Jn 15:21, Acts 5:41, I Cor 4:10, II Cor 4:10-11, Phil 3:7-8, I Pet 4:14, 16)

d.       Biblically these sufferings are primarily presented as coming in the form of persecution, but not in any way limited to it. Paul experienced “needs”, “distresses”, “stripes”, “imprisonments”, “tumults”, “labors”, “sleeplessness”, “many tribulations”, “chains”, “hunger and thirst”, “nakedness” and said he was “poorly clothed”, “beaten”, “homeless”, “defamed”, “reviled”, “struck down”, “chastened”, “dying”, and “poor”.

2.                   Our Challenge

…and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Rom 8:17 (cf. Phil 3:10, I Cor 4:9-16, Jn 15:19-21)

a.       In the New Testament the apostolic lifestyle is presented as exemplary, not exceptional. We are warned that if we do not suffer with Jesus we will not be glorified with Him.

b.       We must soberly ask if the absence of persecution in America is due to a fundamental change in the world or rather a reflection of the relative impotency of our choices and our witness. Has the world gotten less evil or have we suburbanized godliness?

c.       Have we subtly put up boundary lines on where and when evangelism can happen in order to ensure that we are protected from tribulation and persecution?

d.       God has a design for the glory of Jesus in suffering – may He find that purpose fulfilled in us.