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Book: Matthew
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Matt. 10:39 Finding Yourself
Intro. We hear a lot of people talking about finding themselves. You hear
such statements as, "I'm looking out for number one." or
"I need to find myself." According to Jesus you need to lose
yourself.
I. One of the major problems of our society today is the self centeredness
of man.
A. If you will seek to trace the basic motive for everything you
do, if you will go deep enough, you will usually find self.
1. Even actions that on the surface seem to be very
magnanimous, often have a hidden agenda.
2. Many times those huge contributions to some charitable
cause, some University, are made for the recognition of
the donor.
a. Build a new science building and name it after
me.
b. Establish a scholarship fund after my name.
c. Make sure the press is there to get pictures of
me handing the check to the president of the
University.
3. We are by nature self centered.
a. Look how early a child begins to say, "Mine"
b. They say that birds are territorial, and that
they establish their territory, and will seek
to defend their space that they have claimed.
c. I believe that the same is true for us, we sort
of mark out our space and we defend it against
any intrusion.
B. If you will look at the reason behind most every crime, it
comes from a person thinking only about themselves.
1. They have a disregard for the needs or feelings of
others.
2. They have no respect for the person or property of
others.
3. They do not care for the rights of others.
C. Jesus said something very similar to this when He was calling
men to discipleship. "If any man will come after Me, let him
deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever
will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his
life for My sake shall find it."
1. The first requirement for being a disciple of Jesus is
to deny yourself, then take up your cross and follow
Him.
2. Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain."
3. How beautiful it is, yet how rare it is to find a
person who truly denies himself for the cause and sake
of Jesus Christ.
4. Jesus set the example.
a. He said that He did not come to do His own
will, but the will of the Father who sent Him.
b. He said that the works that He did, the words
that He spoke were not His but His Fathers.
c. Paul said, "He was rich, yet for our sakes He
became poor, that we through His poverty might
know the riches of God.
d. The cross of Jesus Christ stands as the
greatest example of selflessness in the history
of man.
5. Even here in our text, the losing our lives for His
sake, is spoken in the context of the cross. In the
previous verse Jesus said, "And He that taketh not his
cross and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me."
D. At a pastor's conference I once had a Bishop tell all of us
pastors that he realized that competition was carnal
motivation, but we needed to realize that the majority of the
people in our congregations were carnal, thus carnal motivation
was necessary if we were ever to get them to do anything. I
found myself resenting his statement very much at the time. I
later began to conclude with his observation, but not with his
conclusion.
1. I do believe that the majority of the congregation is
carnal, but rather than seek through carnal means to
motivate you, I would rather seek to bring you into the
joys and freedom of the life in the Spirit.
2. Do you resent being thought of as carnal Christians?
3. If we should offer 1,000 dollars for every person you
brought to church with you tonight, how many people do
you suppose you would have with you?
4. God complained concerning the people in Malachi's day
because they would not shut the doors of the temple,
nor kindle a fire upon the altar unless they got paid
for it.
5. People will do for money what they would not do for
just the plain love of Jesus Christ.
II. What is meant by, "He that findeth his life shall lose it."?
A. He that lives only for himself, thinks only of himself, will be
an ultimate loser.
1. That which do for yourself will burn as wood, hay, and
stubble in His fires that will test our works.
2. That which you amass for yourself, you will never be
able to take with you.
3. You have only one life, and it will soon be past, and
only what's done for Christ will last.
4. I might ask, what have you sacrificed for Christ
lately?
5. What have you given to Christ as far as energy, time,
or effort, for which you have not sought for something
in return?
6. I only ask these questions to help you examine
yourself, and get an honest look at where you really
stand with Him. Paul said that we should examine
ourselves, for if we will judge ourselves, then we
would not be judged of Him.
B. If you are saying, "I need to find myself." let me suggest that
what you really need is to find Jesus Christ.
1. To find yourself will not benefit you or anyone else,
but to find Jesus Christ is to find eternal life.
2. Living for yourself is not fulfilling or gratifying. It
will, in the end, only bring you misery and emptiness.
III. If you really want to find the deepest meaning in life, lose your
life in Jesus Christ and in the things of Christ.
A. You will find joy.
1. The greatest joy is found in giving not receiving.
2. The fullness of joy comes in sharing with one you love.
a. Beautiful music, sunsets, can be enjoyed by
yourself, but if they are shared with someone
you love, they are enhanced that much more.
B. You will find peace.
1. The person that is seeking to find himself, is usually
in a disturbed state of mind, they usually say it with
agitation.
2. The person who has found himself is even worse off.
3. The person who has lost his life in Jesus Christ has
such peace.
a. I am not in control of my life, I have
surrendered the control to Him.
b. I know that He does all things well.
c. I know that He is only concerned in the best
for me, and that He is looking out for my best
eternal interests.
d. I am not interested in going to a Doctor who is
only interested in my temporal comfort. If I
have severe abdominal pains because of an
appendix that is about to rupture, I do not
want pain pills so that I can be at ease, I
want the appendix treated or removed, though
the operation may incapacitate me for a time,
the long term results are my main concern.
e. I know that He is working out all the details
of my life with the eternal benefits in view.
f. My rest in Him, brings me at rest with my
circumstances.
C. Basically we once again come to the place where we have a
choice of two alternatives.
1. We can seek to find our lives, live as though we are
the only one that matters.
2. Or we can lose our lives for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Lose our lives in Him.
3. It seems to be a paradox, to seek to find it is to lose
it, to lose it is to find it.
MATTHEW 11:25 - 30
"HEAVY BURDENS"
Intro: Jesus has just pronounced woe upon those cities blind to Him. He then prayed to the
Father. Then, turning back to the people He said, "The Father has put all things in My
hands, yet no man understands Me, but the Father does, no one understands the Father
but Me, and those I reveal Him to come unto Me, I will give you rest." What rest? The
true rest. All your restlessness is godlessness. If you knew God, your restlessness
would cease. "Come unto Me;" get the center of your life right.
I. THERE ARE TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE "THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN..." "MY YOKE IS EASY, MY
BURDEN IS LIGHT."
A. Note contrasts.
1. You that labor.
My yoke is easy.
2. Heavy laden.
My burden is light.
B. The common factor is the burden all men carry.
1. Some carry a heavy burden.
2. Some carry a light burden.
3. The burden of the responsibility of life.
C. What is the burden of responsibility of life?
1. It is your master passion, your concept of life that dominates you, drives
you, determines your course.
2. Every man possesses one.
a. Many have never named it.
b. I want you to discover it.
c. What is the deepest thing in your life?
d. In back of your life, their is a motive, a reason, a goal,
ambition, a master passion that drives you.
D. When Jesus said His burden was light, what was the master passion of His life?
1. What are His first recorded words? "Didn't you know I must be about My
Father's business?"
a. The must, not ought, should.
2. Throughout His ministry we hear, "I came not to do My own will... I do all
those things that please Him." "I have come to do Thy will."
"I have accomplished the work You gave Me to do," "It is finished."
3. He said of His burden, "It's light."
a. Some of you have been saying, "I really would like to be a
Christian, but it's too heavy."
4. Jesus is saying it is a light burden to do the will of God.
a. Easier to please God than man.
II. WHAT IS THE BURDEN YOU ARE CARRYING?
A. Have you named it yet?
1. Money, I want nice things.
2. My desire is fame, I want to be known.
3. Pleasure.
4. I have a great passion for ease and quietness, just to be left alone.
B. None of these are the true master passions.
1. You have not gone deep enough yet.
2. There is something yet deeper.
a. Who do you want money for?
b. Who do you want fame for?
3. Myself! You are sitting on the throne of your life.
4. Only two burdens in life. God or self.
a. You are living a God-centered life or a self-centered life.
5. If you are living a self-centered life, your burden is heavy.
a. Can you find a self-satisfied man? Get into his inner life. He is
most uneasy that someone will not think of his as he wants them to
think.
C. Jesus said, "Come unto Me."
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