Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

Robby Pollard, Lead Pastor

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Mark 8:34

³⁴And 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.

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Mark 8:1,3

¹In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them,… ³And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.”

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Mark 8:8

⁸And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

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Mark 8:15-21

¹⁵And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” ¹⁶And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. ¹⁷And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” ²⁰“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” ²¹And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

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Mark 8:21

²¹And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

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Mark 8:27-29

²⁷And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

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Mark 8:31-32a

³¹And 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. ³²And he said this plainly.

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Mark 8:32

³²And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

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Mark 8:33

³³But 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.”

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Mark 8:34-38

³⁴And 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. ³⁵For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷For what can a man give in return for his soul? ³⁸For 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.”

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Mark 8:34

³⁴And 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.

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Mark 14:30

³⁰And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

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Mark 8:34

³⁴And 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.

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You can’t follow Jesus when you’re in front of him.

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Mark 8:31

³¹And 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.

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Mark 8:34

³⁴And 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.

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Are you willing to suffer for Christ?

Are you willing to be rejected for Christ?

Are you willing to give your life for Christ?

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You can’t follow Jesus half-heartedly.

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Mark 8:35

³⁵For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

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John 12:25

²⁵Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

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When you lose your life, you save it.

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Mark 8:36

³⁶For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

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There is no profit in gaining the whole world and losing your soul.

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Mark 8:37

³⁷For what can a man give in return for his soul?

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There is nothing you can give in exchange for your soul.

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Mark 8:38

³⁸For 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.”

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Seeking the acceptance of sinners leads to rejection by the Savior.

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Mark 8:34-38

³⁴And 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. ³⁵For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷For what can a man give in return for his soul? ³⁸For 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.”