If We’re Following Christ, Christ Comes First | Mk 8:34-38 Bible Study [Slideshow+]

Jesus #1

On the road of life, how tempting is it to type in our own GPS coordinates, head to where we want to go, and then ask God for traveling mercies? If we claim to follow Christ, however, we must let Jesus take the wheel.

“When it comes to being a disciple, whatever previously came first is now a very, very, very distant second.”¹ In our lives, Jesus must be “at the center of it all.”² Following Jesus means we must be willing to “lose” our lives (metaphorically or even literally) for Christ. We must be ride-or-die.

Below, please find the main points of this Mark 8:34-38 Bible Study (which is a reiteration of the recent sermon (video + text) of the same name), in addition to the slideshow (w/ download).

See the sermon post for the Greek text, author’s translation, and bibliography.

Main Points

• God has given us everything (grace); we ought to give His gifts back to Him in good faith(fulness). He deserves it!
• But on His terms! Conditions for faithfully following behind Christ: deny ourselves, take up our cross (metaphorically or literally), and obediently follow Him (continually)
• Consequences: paradoxically, surrendering our earthly lives to Christ leads to gaining eternal life with Christ
• Trading the fate of our eternal souls for temporary pleasures is a bad deal; one’s soul is priceless
• If we actively deny Christ on earth, Christ will actively deny us in Heaven. Let us never be ashamed of Him/His words
• There is a cost to Christian discipleship, but it is outweighed by the benefits of Christian discipleship
• If we follow Christ in suffering and self-denial, we will also follow Christ in being resurrected and glorified. Jesus sets the example (cf. Rom 8:17); we just have to follow the Leader.

Slideshow

To download this slideshow (and any others!), please visit the C4C DropBox. To download a .PDF version, please click here.