Living By Dying

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Matthew 16:24-27
February 12, 2023

Matthew 16:24-27: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."

Sermon Outline

1. Christ invites people to follow him by suffering with him

• An unusual sales job

• "Deny himself"

• Take up one's cross

2. What taking up our cross looks like

• Lesser deaths

• Greater deaths

3. By embracing Christ's cross, I will find my life

• "Will find his life" in this world

• Transition: But horrific things happen here on earth

• "Will find his life" in the world to come

4. By refusing Christ's cross, I will lose my life

• Great temptation to "save" it

• "Will lose one's life" in this world

• "Will lose one's life" in the world to come

The "Must" of Jesus' Cross

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Matthew 16:21-23
February 5, 2023

Sermon Outline

1. The most important thing about Jesus Christ is his atoning death and resurrection

• Jesus explained that he must die

• How much of his statement did his disciples understand?

2. The most important thing to Satan is to frustrate/oppose the atonement of Christ

• That day, Satan used the leader of the apostles to oppose Christ's atonement

• Today, Satan uses a popular strand of supposed "Christianity" to oppose Christ's atonement

3. Jesus opposes those who oppose his atoning death

4. Applications

• Even our believing friends can unwittingly harm us spiritually

• Under their own understanding, humans are offended by the cross

• The cross of Christ goes against our self-righteousness

• Mourn for your sins, repent of your sins, confess your sins, but stop trying to pay for your sins