THE CROSS WE BEAR — PART 3

Is Jesus Worth the Cost?

Mark 8:34–38

BIG IDEA

Following Jesus may cost us something, but refusing to follow Him ultimately costs infinitely more.

I. THE CROSS DEFINES THE COST

Mark 8:34–35

“Take up his cross”

The cross represented:

Shame

Rejection

Suffering

Death

Every hardship is not necessarily a cross.

The cross is connected to faithfulness to Jesus.

“For My sake and the gospel’s.” — Mark 8:35

KEY TRUTH:

Remaining faithful to Christ matters more than escaping the cost.

QUESTION:

What might faithfulness to Jesus cost me?

II. THE CROSS EXPOSES THE FALSE PROFIT

Mark 8:35–37

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

THE CALCULATION OF DISCIPLESHIP

We often ask:

“What will following Jesus cost me?”

Jesus makes us ask:

“What will it cost me if I decide something else is worth more than Him?”

Something can look like gain and actually be loss.

Something can look like success and leave us spiritually bankrupt.

The world can offer something impressive and still offer a terrible trade.

KEY TRUTH:

The greatest loss is gaining something that requires us to turn away from Christ in order to keep it.

QUESTION:

What am I being tempted to value more than faithfulness to Christ?

III. THE CROSS CONFIRMS CHRIST’S VALUE

Mark 8:38

Peter confessed:

“You are the Christ.” — Mark 8:29

The deeper question is not only:

“What might I lose?”

But:

“Who is Jesus, and what is He worth?”

THE REVERSAL

Verse 31: The Son of Man is rejected.

Verse 38: The Son of Man returns in glory.

KEY TRUTH:

The suffering Christ is the coming King.

The present moment does not get the final word.

Public opinion does not get the final word.

The culture does not get the final word.

Jesus does.

He is:

The crucified Savior

The risen Lord

The coming King

CHRIST’S VALUE

Philippians 3 — “the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”

Christ is worth more.

GRACE COMES FIRST

Romans 5:8

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christ loved us first.

Christ gave Himself for us first.

We do not carry a cross to purchase salvation.

We follow the Savior whose cross purchased us.

Mercy first. Sacrifice second.

COUNTING THE COST

Luke 14

Jesus never promised that following Him would always be easy.

When faithfulness becomes costly:

Do not mistake the cost for evidence that something has gone wrong.

The road can be costly, and Jesus can still be worthy.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

What might I lose by following Jesus?

What would I lose by abandoning faithfulness to Jesus?

Is anything I could preserve worth more than Christ?

Mark 8 answers:

No. Nothing is.

FINAL TAKEAWAY

Put the whole world on one side.

Put Christ on the other.

FINAL QUESTION:

What could I possibly gain that would be worth losing Him?

Nothing.

Whatever faithfulness to Christ may cost, gaining everything else while losing Him would cost infinitely more.

CHRIST IS WORTH MORE.