Are you dead yet? Not physically but dead to self? This is not optional if you want Jesus to be glorified through you. You must die to self, daily. This is what Jesus meant when He instructed His disciples to take up and carry their crosses daily; Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV)
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
The life of a disciple cannot be lived in a vacuum of solitude. You must have relationship to know how to live in self-denial for the sake of another. This is so foreign to most of Christianity in the Western Culture. So much is ego-centric with the focus being on ones anointing or gifting. This is total opposite to the plan and purpose of His church.
A day or two before His crucifixion, Phillip was approached by some Greeks who wanted to see Jesus. You can read about the account in John 12. This is Jesus’ answer,
“And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him”
The purpose of Jesus’ death was not just about redemption, it was a process by which those who would follow His example would also lay down their lives for one another. The result? The world would also see Jesus through His followers. Seeds produce harvest. Jesus becoming a seed in the ground will produce a harvest of individuals who the world will recognize as His disciples. In other words, the revealing of the “sons of God” that the world is eager for. (Romans 8:19).
In John 15:13, John wrote this definition of true love.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”
This is self-sacrificing love. We have just remembered the 23rd anniversary of 9/11. There are many stories of how people sacrificed their own lives to help others. One such story was about a husband and father on the 72nd floor who called his family to let them know that he was alright and heading down the flight of stairs. That was until he heard the cries for help from those above him. He turned around and went back up help others. He was never heard from again.
It’s the same as when a soldier dives on the enemy grenade to absorb the explosion in his own body to save the lives of other soldiers with him. This is the essence of a true follower of Jesus. The Apostle Paul said this in Philippians 2:4-8 (ESV)
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
This week’s blog was sparked by someone from Cornerstone who sent me this testimony from Kevin Riordan, a friend of Cornerstones. Here’s Kevin’s testimony on denying self.
“Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies…
When I was 8, a Honduran pastor prophesied that I would be a great man of God. I would preach to thousands, heal the sick, cast out devils and disciple many to do the same.
I left the church that night and continued on in the life filled with trauma that I lived in.
When I came to Christ, immediately it was prophesied that I would preach to thousands, heal the sick, cast out devils and disciple many to do the same.
I left excited and certain that I was on this earth for a great purpose! Despite being ready now to do these awesome things for Jesus, I left that encounter but there was no crowd to preach to. I did not know the Bible, I did not know how how to pray for healing or deliverance, and certainly was not equipped to disciple anyone.
When in Bible school it was prophesied over and over by people I didn’t know, who didn’t know me, that I would preach to thousands, heal the sick, cast out devils and disciple many to do the same.
I graduated Bible school ready to take the world for Jesus. Instead I had severe panic and anxiety attacks, and dealt with mental and emotional attacks for the next six years.
In 2008 I was ordained. It was prophesied that I would preach to thousands, heal the sick, cast out devils and disciple many to do the same. I was certain that this was the missing piece of my puzzle
I left my ordination service, went home and continued on in street ministry where no one joined me, where no one seemingly wanted to listen to me, where I saw very little fruit. I continued to sit on the ministry shelf of my church where I collected dust, and was made to feel like I was not called to ministry by an orphan hearted ministry leader.
I went to a conference and had an encounter with God. I left that conference and began healing the sick, casting out demons and preaching to thousands. I had arrived.
Then God sat me down not once but three times. God stripped me of my ministry because ministry was my God.
Woven into this timeline were unmentioned offense, struggles with sin, pain and disappointment.
Has God given you a word that has seemingly died? You are probably right where God wants you. God uses disappointment and pain to drive us harder into Him, to strip us of pride, self reliance, and orphan mentalities. With those things left unchecked, the anointing will crush you, destroy your family and shipwreck the faith of the people whom you minister to. Power doesn’t corrupt a person, but brings the corruption that’s always been there to the surface. When you cry out to God to use you, He answers that prayer. He then makes you into someone who can be used. The more dead you are, the more fruit you’ll produce.
Are you dead yet? Philippians 1:21
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”