The Joy of Self-Denial - Pastor Daniel Batarseh

If you have your Bibles, meet me in the book of first Timothy chapter five. First Timothy chapter five. This morning, I wanna speak to you about the joys of self denial. The joys of self denial. And if you're there in first Timothy chapter five, meet me in verse six, because we're gonna unpack one simple verse today that we touched on last week.

But she who is self indulgent is dead even while she lives. One of the wonders of discovering the will of God as revealed in the word of God, is how much of what God decrees and his ways go against the natural mind. So profound are God's laws for those who are citizens of his kingdom, that when read on the surface, they almost seem seem self contradicting. And so you've read it, you've heard it, and you've probably considered the equations that seem counterintuitive, because we know that the bible says that if you wanna be exalted, you first must humble yourself. If you want to be the greatest, then you must become a servant.

If you would want to receive more, then you first must learn how to give. If you want to know perfect strength, you must admit great weakness. And if you would find life, you would actually have to lose it. And so what we see from cover to cover is that, there are these paradoxes almost. And adopting Christ admonitions for the way we should live as his representatives, would in no doubt, radicalize the way you see yourself, the way you see the world, the way you see every single aspect of your existence.

An additional paradox to the list of things that we hear and read from the mouth of Christ and even his apostles, is this one right here. That she or he who lives for pleasure is actually dead as they pursue it. What's fascinating about that is what's being stated. That a lifelessness can be known and is unavoidable on the path of self indulgence. Misery is reserved for the me centered.

The coldness of the soul is a familiar sensation for those who are self absorbed. And we've touched on that last week as we gathered around these verses together, but there's so much more to receive from this this verse. And the way that we are gonna receive from this verse is to reverse the thought that is being presented here, and you and I have every right to do that because the reversal of this argument is in consistency with the rest of scripture. What do I mean by that? Well, if a lifeless existence is on the path of self indulgence, then true pleasure is found on the path of self denial.

Apart from the exclusivity of the gospel, those words that were just proclaimed are some of the most scandalous and countercultural philosophies that very few are willing to adhere to. Because this is what the world says, pursue pleasure, pursue self, and you will know true life. But to understand and to adopt this principle the way Christ intended us to do, as much as it is foreign to the flesh, it is the way in which we will have the most powerful witness to the world, and we will also, at the same time, tap into a spring of joy that is incomparable to anything else in this life. You realize that. Right?

This is a double blessing. Self denial has a double blessing. Not only are those around us enriched by our pursuit of a Christ like attitude, but you yourself, your own soul will benefit from such a pursuit. And the happiness that you will experience in that will outshine every trick and thrill of carnality. You and I are being told by this flesh on a daily basis that you should organize and ordain your life around you being the center of the universe.

That every relationship that you have with people, and all the plans that you make, should satisfy you, and fulfill your agenda above all else. That's what you're hearing from your flesh on a daily basis. And sometimes it's stronger than other days, but it is true nonetheless. And if those people fail, and if those plans don't come to pass, if they are seen as a hindrance to that pursuit, then you have every right to abandon them. They are not worthy of your time.

They are not worthy of your attention. They are not worthy of your sacrifice, because they are not lifting you up to where you wanna be. So sayonara, I'm not gonna be involved with you anymore. But contrary to what the world says, contrary to what the flesh says, contrary to what the devil says, there is true pleasure in a way that Christ commands us to pursue. And you can come to this word not just to ensure yourself of eternal life, but life abundant now.

And this morning, I don't have different points for you. I don't have three points for that, six points for this. I have one point, we're gonna look to Christ. It's the ultimate point. It's the only point.

Because this is what many even seriously Bible loving Christians have failed to do. They have looked to the cross. They have looked to the gospel, and they have looked to the life of Jesus Christ merely as the means for our salvation. And that is a glorious truth. That is an amazing truth.

That is a truth that which every other truth is built upon, and we shouldn't go to any other foundation. And we shouldn't fail to be reminded of the grace of God. But at the same time, they fail to realize that as much as we glory in the cross of Christ, there's a cross with your name on it. There's a cross with your name on it. And unfortunately, the cross with our name is so under emphasized today.

Even in the name of grace, even in the pursuit of being conservative and fundamental, That we don't understand that as much as you are called to daily to look to the cross and trust in the cross of Jesus Christ, at the same time, when you wake up from your bed, on the end of your bed, there's a cross ready for you to carry until you go back to that bed with that same cross that you've been carrying all day. So with that same cross that you've been carrying all day. We've lost this truth in Western America. We have lost this truth in the Western church. It is almost non existent from the pulpit to declare to people, you have a cross to carry.

Yes, Jesus Christ died for you, but you have to die as well. That as much as Christ, yes, was nailed on the tree, you are also supposed to climb on that tree and die with him. And we wonder why there's so many carnal Christians. We wonder why there's so many frustrated believers. We wonder why there's so many Christians that are worldly because they are not being told, and they are not telling themselves, I must die to myself.

And what would the world look like if every single believer really believed that there was a cross with my name on it? Not just a cross that has Christ's name on it, King of the Jews, no. There is a cross with your initials. But today, we're going to be reminded that you or I are supposed to deny ourselves daily. And not only is that mandatory, that is the means for endless joy, true pleasure, incomparable satisfaction, because she who pursues self pleasure is dead while she lives.

But he who denies himself and loses his life will find it. But what does that mean? What does it look like to deny myself? What does it look like to carry my cross? We quote it.

We preach it to some extent, but what does it look like? What's the nitty gritty details of it? Do I inflict pain on my body? Do I do some ritual that makes me look, spiritual by starving us? What is it?

Well, let's look to the one who carried his own cross and see. Turn with me to Philippians chapter two verse 20. And notice what the apostle Paul says about his disciple Timothy. It's a profound thing. Paul says in Philippians two twenty, concerning Timothy, for I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

Why? Verse 21. They all seek their own interest, not those of Jesus Christ. What made this young man Timothy stand out from the crowd? One simple truth.

His delight was designed to fulfill the desires of his Lord. If you wanna know true vanity in life, live without a desire to serve your Lord. If you really want to know a death while you live, then be self absorbed as much as possible. You know what's amazing here is that Paul is comparing Timothy to so many, and specifically to preachers who even use ministry as a means to itch. They're envying their rivalry.

That's what we read earlier in chapter one. Remember that? When Paul says that there are many out there preaching Christ from selfish ambition, but I I glory because Christ is being preached anyway. But he compares Timothy to such men, and he says, but there is a breed of people, and Timothy is one of them. Because the danger of seeking pleasure is that it can be pursued in any place including in the area of serving God.

That there is some self that is satisfied when I pursue even in the name of Christ. An ambition not to bless, not to satisfy my God, but to satisfy myself. But this is not the case for Timothy. God's pleasure over his life was his pleasure in life. And I wonder if we took an honest look at ourselves this morning, and ask where our interests are.

Come on now, be honest this morning. Ask where your interest I'm not asking if you believe in Jesus Christ. Never mind that. I'm asking where your interests are, and where on that list of interest, plans, goals, and desires is Jesus, is Christ. Well, I serve God.

I serve in the ministry. Well, Paul says that there are many who seek their own interest in that kind of a context. Let me ask you, where are your interests? Ask yourself, what are my passions? What are my desires?

What's my goal in this life? This man had a single-minded devotion. A single-minded devotion of continually concerning himself with whether or not his Lord was pleased. You think many Christians think like that today? But if you are honest, and you found in yourself, yes, there is a desire to fulfill the will of God.

There is a passion. There is a confidence in my soul. My conscience bears witness. My interests are caught up in Christ, then let me confidently tell you this, if that is true within yourself, then you have every right to believe that you are on the path to incomparable happiness. You understand that, right?

And let me also make this clear that a confession of Christ being your interest is not going to suffice because in Timothy's life, it was not mere verbal affirmation that, My interests are in Jesus Christ, brother. No. He demonstrated it. He demonstrated it. Why?

Because we just read here in verse 20, he's genuinely concerned for your welfare. Genuinely concerned. There's a concern that's not genuine. That was not the case with Timothy. Paul was imprisoned.

He was worried about the Philippians and their state of spirituality, and Paul had confidence about this young man that in verse 19, he can send them to Philippi to check upon this church because he's genuinely concerned. And travel in that day was not like the comforts of travel today. All you have to do is read the last chapters of the book of Acts and see what a boat trip to Rome looks like. And yet, Timothy had the willingness to block out time, his resources, his energy, to what? Make sure that the Philippians were okay.

Because he reflected the heart of God and having concern over the people of God. So do we want to know what self denial looks like? Well, at least in part, this is what it looks like. There's a great correlation between you having your interest set on Christ and how you relate to the people of God. You can't separate your interest in Christ and how you engage with others, even if it's inconvenience to you, as it would have been to Timothy.

Even if it calls you to draw something out of you, this is the proof that our interests are set in Christ at least in part. I'm caught up with the agenda of God on the earth. I wanna touch the people of God with whatever I can contribute to bless them. And yet, what do we see today is you know very well, a consumer Christianity. A consumer Christianity.

I saw a clip the other day and it was it was just it was a joke, but it was so real to how professing Christians think today that it was convicting almost. And it was like this idea of a couple going to different churches and church hopping and trying to find the right church for them, and the standards by which way. How the pastor dresses, and how comfortable the pews are, and what kind of song, and the name of the church, and and what what they require of me, and all these things. And you think, this is hilarious, but it's true. We choose a church like how we choose a restaurant.

We look at the menu, and if it satisfies us, we'll come. And when we're bored of it, we go to another menu. No. Timothy was a man who is absolutely absorbed with satisfying the Lord Jesus Christ. And if it looked like touching Christians that were unconcerned about their own welfare at times, that was okay.

If they were imperfect, that was okay. If they had needs and help, that was okay. Because it was about Christ being satisfied. But here's the thing, as you heard last week about widows and our families and widows and our churches, we are reminded of this because we, in our flesh, know that seeking the well-being of others can sometimes just be a plain burden. And brother, I I appreciate self denial, but I'm not interested in adding more problems to the problems I already have in my own life.

And if we're honest with what we just read in Philippians two twenty twenty one, we realize that Timothy was crowned with an awesome commendation from the Apostle Paul, that he was concerned about the interest of Christ. But brother, I didn't see any hint of joy in there. I didn't see how this adds up to pleasure. Because if if you're honest, many believers think that if if I give myself more to Christ, if if I don't draw a line and I go too far, then I'm gonna miss out on pleasure in life. I'm gonna miss out miss out on things that are actually gonna bring me joy and happiness.

But you need to understand this, Timothy is simply a link to the chain of others who have had that banner over their lives. There is no doubt that Timothy was imitating his spiritual father, Paul. And there is no doubt that Paul tapped into a revelation of the person of Jesus Christ, that had him on this pursuit of considering all things as rubbish, except knowing Christ and serving Christ. Paul had an understanding of the life of Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul had an understanding of the life of Jesus Christ, that Paul quotes Jesus Christ in a way in which you can't find that quote in any of the gospels.

Proof? Go to Acts 20, look at verse 35, and see what the Apostle Paul says. The spiritual father of this man, Timothy, and a bond servant of Jesus Christ. Effusion elders. In all things, I've shown you that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

I challenge you to read Matthew all the way to John, and look at the four gospel accounts, and you will not find one single place where Jesus uttered these words word for word. You won't find it. But he quotes Jesus, and it's one of the few direct quotes from the Lord Jesus that are found outside of the gospels. That should tell you that this is very important. So how did Paul receive this?

Well, it could be that Christ did utter these words and it was passed down orally to the disciples and it reached the ears of this apostle. But here's what's more important than the fact that this is found in the gospels or not. It was the model of Christ's life. There is no denying that. From the moment he entered into this world, and everything in between that and his exit, this described the man's life.

And here's the problem with us, even as faithful bible believing Christians. We have limited our Christianity to Jesus saying to us, believe in me, and not realizing that he also said, follow me. He's not just your savior. He's not just your substitution. He's your example for life now.

Who is Christ in your context? How does Christ look like as a husband to your spouse? As a wife to your spouse? As a father to your children? As an employee in your workplace?

As a sibling to your siblings? How does he look? And we see here that Paul quotes him. And more importantly, Paul knew that this is what described the God man in his thirty three and a half years on this earth. What is he saying?

Jesus did not say that it's not blessed to receive. That would be wrong because there is blessing in receiving. But what he is saying is that there is a greater blessing in the arena of extending your hand rather than opening it. That there is a blessing. You know what blessed means?

It simply means happy. So you could translate it this way. There is a greater happiness in giving rather than getting. Tell me how many people actually believe that. And we've limited that truth.

It's more blessed to give them to receive, than what kind of gifts that you give to others in Christmas time. It is way more profound than that. It is much more in-depth than what I give away things more than I get things. No. No.

No. No. No. That's only a small fraction of the equation. That's only a of how we live as Christians.

How do we know? Because what did he just say? In all things, I've shown you that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak. We must help the weak, and it is in that context in which he quotes the Lord Jesus. Why?

Because Paul here did not burden Christians in his ministry to give to me. He didn't ask for money. He he worked for his own necessities. But on top of that, the Apostle Paul did not just work hard for himself. He saw others around him that were weak and they couldn't work for themselves.

They were sick or they were immobile, whatever was the case. So he took it upon himself to not just labor for himself, but to give to others through his labor. And he says, you elders, as pastors, you should imitate me in this. Because Jesus said, it's more blessed to give than to receive. Doesn't look like you getting a better gift for your boyfriend than he getting for you.

It looks like the sacrifice of energy, the sacrifice of time, of resources without the motive that I am doing this because I know that I will receive something in return. That's a huge one. And that is the mindset of Jesus Christ. That is the mindset of Paul. That is the mindset of Timothy.

And if we don't think that that's what Paul meant here, then surely it is what Jesus meant on many occasions when he taught about self denial. We wanna be Christians. Right? We wanna we wanna obey Christ. Right?

This is what self denial looks like, at least in part. In a very practical way because it can get very theoretical. It can get very theological that we don't understand the practicality of what it means to carry a cross. So Jesus, in wanting to illustrate it, gives us a very clear example of what that looks like. And it's a teaching, just two verses, but profound nonetheless.

In Luke 14 verses 12 to 14. Look what the Lord said when he was invited to a dinner. Imagine teaching this when you were invited to a dinner and telling the host this. You You ready for it? He said also to the man who had invited him, I don't recommend you do this, but Jesus had the right to do this.

When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. A lot of dinner plans are gonna change this week. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Let's clarify this.

Does that mean that you can't ever have dinner with friends or family? Absolutely not. That's not what Jesus is teaching here. He's speaking to the man that invited him. He was a Pharisee, and Jesus knew what Pharisees did when they did nice things to other people.

So he's pricking at their hearts and he's reminding them. And he's reminding us, the core of his teaching is that as followers of him, we should not only associate with people, we should not only relate to individuals, we should not only have our relationships around the idea or the basis of what they can do for us. Christian, hey, listen. You and I are called to expand how we relate to individuals. You and I are called to reach out, and to interact with those who do not have the ability to give us favors or something in return, whether that's financial or any other thing that would benefit you.

And what do most people do? They enclose themselves around those that can only give them something, and not touch those who can't give anything back. A life of self denial is a life that performs costly acts of love without hoping or thinking or planning that this will bring something for me in the end. So what does it look like to serve in a church when you're not doing it to be recognized? It looks like self denial.

What does it look like as a Christian to go beyond those that you know, and to love those unashamedly, willing to serve those who we perhaps in the flesh would not associate with because of their status or lack of personality, looks like self denial. It looks like Jesus. If I give my time, my possessions and energy without getting something back in return, you know what the world sees that as? A loss. A waste of time.

You know what Jesus says? You're blessed if they cannot repay you. Wait. I'm more blessed if they can't repay me? I thought I'm blessed if I do something and get some return or some profit.

No. No. No. No. Jesus, you're blessed if they can't do anything for you.

Why? Because he goes on to say, I'll repay you. That's why. You know, a life of self denial will be extremely difficult for the professing Christian who does not have an eternal perspective. I guarantee you that.

If you're not deeply convinced that after this world, I will stand before my Lord, and based not on for my salvation, but based on how I live in my salvation, will be an experience in the next world. This will change the way you make decisions in this life. And I'm convinced that many believers fall into the temptation of failing to see what Jesus is teaching here. I'm keeping count. I have a record.

How freeing is that? You don't have to be seen. You don't have to be known the God of glory as a book of remembrance. That is radical Christian living. Costly acts of love without the pollution of me saying, there's something I want from this.

It's a blank slate. Just pure love. One way. Sacrifice. Realizing that Christ watches you, realizing that Christ sees you would be enough to bring revival to radical servants.

Listen. If you and I thought that carrying our cross simply means denying your sinful pleasures, if that is our mentality, what it means to carry our cross, I guarantee you that is evidence of being babes in Christ. It is much more than you saying no to your desire to watch pornography that night. It's so much deeper than that. It's so much more sacrificial than that.

It gets into the nitty gritty of how we live. And here's the thing, the deeper we allow this attitude to consume us, the deeper your joy will be. It's more blessed to give. You'll be more happy in keeping your eyes off yourself and on others, than if you're always looking at others to give you and to bless you. If you don't think that it does affect every way we live and how we relate to people, consider another thought, a commentary of the life of Jesus Christ in Romans 15 verse three.

For Christ, Paul says, did not please himself. Can you think about that? We want radical Christianity. Right? And people think that's just miracles, signs and wonders.

No. This is radical Christianity. For Christ, did not please himself. Oh, people want manifestations of the Holy Spirit. They want to see power.

They want to see people weep. They want to see people this and that. Here's radical empowerment of the Holy Spirit. But as it is written, the approaches of those who reproach you fell on me. Why did Paul say this here?

Why did Paul say this here? Well, all you have to do is read chapter 14 to realize the continuation of thought. And chapter 14 is about how there is a dispute amongst Christians in the church of Rome about gray areas. So you had some Christians who saw no issue eating certain foods even though they were sacrificed to idols because they they thought to themselves, Hey, listen. We have liberty in the gospel.

We pray over this. It becomes holy. This is not an issue. But then you have others who Paul describes as weaker in the faith that saw an issue and saw food and certain days of the year as more sacred than others. And you had these people judging each other.

You had disputes and arguments and debates. And what Paul is at He's calling for the Those who are strong in faith, those who are in tune with the gospel, those who understand the freedoms and the liberties that Christ brings, to say, hey, even though there are some in there that believe differently, it's your call in the name of love to sacrifice your rights and your liberties for the sake of their conscience. This is not to say that we are to encourage or feed a legalistic mindset in the church. But it is to say that there are sincere and genuine believers who are weak. They haven't grown in their knowledge of Christ yet.

They haven't understood the full liberty of what it means to live practically under his mercies and his new law. So Paul says to the older or more mature rather believers in the faith saying, listen, would you just sacrifice your liberties for their sake? Just give it up. So they can be at ease in their walk with the Lord. And you know what we feel when we hear that?

These are my rights. Are you telling me that just because of somebody else's conscience, why don't they just turn the other way and not look over here, and let me do what I wanna do? And then he says, but Christ didn't please himself. And if Christ was willing to leave glory to serve sinners, you can give up your little thing to build up your brother. Christ did not please himself.

We read that, we realize there's something else as an evidence of you and I bearing our cross daily. It's beyond denying sinful pleasures. That's just the basis. It is proven when we consider how our conduct affects the spiritual well-being of those around us. Do you realize the theme here of bearing your own cross?

The more you bear, the more you will not think of yourself, and think about those around you. Your thoughts will testify to whether or not there is a wooden beam around your neck. What about them? Self denial looks like being concerned with the practical and spiritual needs of those who are associated with me. That's why Paul can say in Acts twenty thirty five, I help the weak with these hands.

Yes, I provide for my own necessities, but these hands go beyond myself, and I bless others. And then he comes to Romans 15, he goes, it goes beyond just serving people practically, you're concerned about their own conscience being affected. You are worried about how your life will touch other people in the wrong way. Denial. This does not make sense to the flesh.

This does not make sense to the world. The world says, look out for number one, you. And Jesus says, no, look out for everybody else except you. You're the last person. Saying, this is heavy.

I'm not very convinced that there's some joy in this, because all I'm hearing is that I'm not gonna be repaid on this earth. I have to associate with people that I don't wanna associate with. I have to sacrifice others. Where is the joy? And we are tempted to think that when Christ did not please himself, he was under some compulsion.

That the father says, I'm sending you to the world, and Jesus is like, I really like it up here, and I really don't wanna go to that filth called earth. And the father said, No, you better do it. If you're my son, you bet No. He was in perfect unity with the father's heart. The father sent him, yes, but Philippians two says that he humbled himself.

And there was a joy that was set before him as he endured the cross. If you don't believe it, realize it. In a statement in John four thirty four, very well known phrase. Jesus said, My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you know when Jesus said this?

He said this in the context of being weary, hungry, and thirsty. He took the long way to make sure that he crossed a place called Samaria. He sat down by a well, huffing and puffing, while he sent all of his disciples to go into the city to bring food for all of them. And when he had had this masterpiece of a dialogue with a sinner, leading to her salvation. The disciples come back and see him engaging with this woman, and they urged him to eat.

Why would they urge him? Because clearly he was weak and frail and in need of some fuel. And they said, Jesus, we know that you're really tired and you have some work to do. Would you just have a bite to eat? And Jesus clarifies, I have a food that you do not know of.

And in their mind, they thought, this woman or somebody else came and gave him food, and he's no longer hungry anymore, and Jesus, you don't get it. My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you realize how profound that is? Do you realize that Jesus is actually not hungry anymore at this point? And not because he ate something physical.

Though he was hungry and weary, the opportunity to perform the father's will was at hand, and he took advantage of it. And the joy of obedience to the father's will in engaging with this woman was so overwhelming and so powerful that it made him forget about his fatigue and his hunger. It actually consumed him to the point where he did not sense the grumbling in his stomach at that point. This is profound because the fulfillment that comes from obeying God contains the power to cause us to not even seek the basic comforts that we need in life. That's why on more than one occasion, you see the gospels record Jesus serving the father to the point where he forgot to eat.

And we think, oh yeah, he was very busy, and he didn't have time. That's in part. We see here that it was so exhilarating. It was so satisfying that he did not even consider the fact that he had to eat a meal. Now, if obeying God has the ability to do that, to affect even the basic desires of the human flesh, what do you think it will do to the things that we don't need in this life?

What do you think it will do to the things that are wrong for us and will affect us spiritually? If you really grasp what Jesus is saying here, then you will know what he is talking about here. And I'm scared that people don't know what it looks like to be so satisfied in walking in the will of God, that it actually changes the way you have an appetite. Not just physically, spiritually. If it can do it physically, how much more spiritually?

I was talking to a young man after a conference, and he told me, I heard what you had to say. I saw that it was powerful. I realized the will of God, but I'm not interested. I said, why? Because I want what the world has.

I've been so sheltered my whole life. I want to see what all the fuss is about. I said, Hey, brother. I appreciate your honesty, but let me tell you something. You're hungry.

You're not curious. You're hungry. What are you talking about? I'm telling you that your soul is starving, and you're looking for satisfaction. Your solution is not don't do this and don't do that.

Your solution is to be satisfied in Christ. You haven't got there yet, obviously. Because when you are full, you will loathe honey, but to him who is hungry, everything bitter is sweet. You need to get full in God. Get before him and ask him to fill you, lest you be doomed in your pursuit of self indulgence.

No need for an altar call there. And so that's how the conversation ended. Do you realize what Jesus is saying here? Is it is it stirring you or are you bored this morning? Obedience to the point of self denial is likened to a starving body eating food.

Jesus points to a universal experience that all men can relate to and he says, Walking for the will of God is like you eating food. What does food do for you? Does it not provide enjoyment? Does it not provide refreshment and fuel? Does it not quench a desire?

And God in Christ says, obeying the father is like that. What food does to the body, obedience does to the soul. I'm not hungry Because I eat of something that even affects my appetite. If it affects the basic appetites that we all need, what will it do to your appetites of the things that harm you, yet you are tempted by? This is my food.

And this is where the message comes full circle. Doesn't it? Because if obedience is like food, then not obeying is like having a lack of food, and she who liveth for pleasure is dead while she liveth. God has a law in this universe, and here's one of them. True fulfillment comes in radical obedience to the point even of self denial.

If you try to pursue anything else other than that as your primary source of satisfaction, you're dead even while you live. And we're reading that, we're saying this is profound. It gets even more profound than this. If your resources are sacrificed in the name of Christ, Christ says you will be repaid at the resurrection of the judge, just. If your food and water is sacrificed in obedience to Christ, he shows that there's a satisfaction even at the expense of such basic needs in life.

And if you experience rejection in your pursuit of self denial, which you will, you can't carry your cross in this life without people looking at you like a fool. Look at this guy, denying himself. You think the cross is attractive to everybody? No. It's not.

But it is a fragrance of life to God. Jesus said something else. In just a few chapters after this in John eight verse 29. Because in the pursuit of self denial, there will be some sacrifice. And Jesus in fulfilling the will of the father, guess what happened to him?

He didn't ever had everybody liking him. And the enemy to his mission, more than anybody else, would you believe it, was the religious people. And so he's having a dialogue with these Pharisees, and he realizes that these Pharisees are rejecting him, they have rejected him, they are rejecting him, they will continue to reject him. And so Jesus says something that makes something very clear to them. And he who sent me is with me.

He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him. For I always do the things that are pleasing to him. He's clarifying to the crowd that no matter who refused to embrace him, and submit to him, and to accept him, he would never be alone in this life. On the path of self denial, obedient obeying the father's will, there would be a price, but he reminds those who hear him, you can all reject me, but the father is always with me. Yes.

This says something about the deity of Christ, but let's look at it as Christ being human, who is obeying in his humanity. You know what he's saying here? There is a special presence, a guiding presence, a leading presence, a satisfying presence, a protective presence in my life, because of one simple thing. I've set my heart to not occasionally, not sporadically, but always do what pleases him. That's not just the inheritance of the Son of God.

That is a promise for all those who would carry their cross daily. He's near to me. If you lack any motivation to pick up your cross, if you're not attracted to the reward of the resurrection of the just, if you're not convinced that obeying God is like food, satisfying you, replenishing you, refreshing you, then let this be your portion. He is with me. He speaks to me.

He guides me. He empowers me because he sees in me a willingness to please him. That my interests are not in myself or anybody else. The greatest interest is to satisfy my Lord. You know what that looks like?

It looks like this. According to the authority of the word of God, you will know a peace and a pleasure that no matter where sacrificing for the Lord takes you, it will be there. If God sends you to an igloo to live among the Inuits in Northern Canada, you will know a presence and a pleasure and a peace beyond even you having some palace on a Caribbean island. Being in the will of God is unlike being any other place in this world. This is what Jesus is saying in part.

He is with me because I've set my heart to live for his pleasure. And whatever that requires of me, I will gladly do it. I will gladly do it. Go to Amos chapter six as we close. In the Old Testament, I want you to see something that's quite astounding.

If you look at Amos, God presents a woe toward his people. This is not even the world, by the way. This is his own people. He presents these woes, and he says this here in Amos chapter six verse four. Woe to those This is the opposite of blessed by the way.

If you want to know the opposite of blessed, it's woe. And Jesus says, woah, rather God says, woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall who sing idle songs to the sound of harp. You know what that means? Just just careless singing about silly things. And like David, invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls, this is abundance here, and anoint themselves with the finest oils.

Now, pause there. Does that sound like a woeful life? No. That sounds like the American dream. Palaces and couches and comfort and luxury and and eating feasts and choice meats.

Everybody wants that. That's what you're working for, isn't it? That's what you're doing. That's why you're waking up early. You want this.

And God says, woe to you. Why? Are those things wrong in themselves? Is it wrong to have a nice steak dinner? Is it wrong to have a nice house?

Is it wrong to have inventions and to have technologies? No. It's not wrong. It is wrong though when you complete what he says, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph. You have all these things.

You're indulging yourself in all these things, but there is an absence in your heart of reflecting God's heart over the nation that is suffering in your midst. Notice that out of all the references to describe the entirety of the nation of Israel, he chooses the name Joseph. Do you know why? Because he's calling them to reflect how Joseph was treated by his brothers. The conduct of his own brothers toward him.

He's calling them. Do you remember what the brothers did to Joseph? They threw him in a pit without water, and you read Genesis 37 carefully, and it says, they sat down and they ate. So while he was suffering and calling out for help and asking for some assistance, you were feasting, and this is what the reference is. Your abundance, your luxury, your prosperity, there's nothing evil within themselves, but the fact that you are closing your ears to the needs of others, you're selfish.

You're not denying self. You're not denying these things so that you could pursue the aid of your brother. No. Woe to you. Woe to you.

Do you see how God's mind is not like the natural mind? Do you see how the world thinks is not the way God thinks? He's saying, you're not connecting with my heart. You're so absorbed in yourself. And here we are, we're arguing that the main sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is homosexuality.

It is a big sin, but you read Ezekiel 36 carefully, and what do you read? That they were full on bread, that they were proud, they had excess, and they did not hear the cry of the poor. They refused to see beyond themselves and the needs of others. They were so consumed with self, woe to you. Woe to you.

She who lives and indulges is dead while she lives. And it's a deception because the world pursues this, celebrities pursue this, you're reading about it, you're convinced of it, all the while there is a simplicity, and there is a way of life that will bring about a waterfall of pleasure to your soul. That none of these things can offer. May we as a church pursue carrying our cross daily. May we as a church know what it's like to have food for the soul in the place of even inconvenience to our bodies.

May we not be deceived that self denial looks like asceticism, which means you can't enjoy anything in life in the name of spirituality. That's not what we're being taught here. It's an attitude of the heart. It's reflecting Jesus Christ. It's asking God to wire my mind and my heart to not please myself, but whatever it cost to please others, knowing that in pleasing others, I myself will be pleased.

And God will grant us this. Is it for our pleasure? Absolutely. But it's ultimately for witness in the glory of God. It's all in one package brothers and sisters.

We are a different breed of people. We have a God that thinks differently and his ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not like our thoughts, but all when we trust him, when we believe in him, when we obey him, we will know what he promised. Let's pray and ask him for that help. You struggle to really believe that in the path of self denial, there is true pleasure, ask God to help your unbelief.

God, help my unbelief. Help my unbelief. Lord, I wanna know what it means to be blessed. I don't want the banner of my life to be woah. I wanted to be blessed as he who gives rather than receives.

Lord, we trust in you this morning. That he who denies himself will know true life. That he who prayerfully and actively and intentionally says, oh God, show me what it means to deny myself. Show me how to kill my pride. Show me the joys and the treasures that are reserved for those who seek the well-being of others even at our own expense.

Help us realize it, Lord, in you. But we know we fail. We fail to see how this is a blessing and we fail to obey it. But father, we ask that we would be changed today. We will be transformed in this area of our lives.

Help us to not just do it because we know we need to do it, but help us taste and see the blessing in it. And we pray, Lord, that condemnation would not be the consequence of such a message, but invitation. Invitation into greater blessing would be what we hear this morning. Oh, God, we worship you because you did not please yourself, and in that attitude, you saved us. You saved us.

And Lord, the very adornment of your character is found in that truth that you did not please yourself. May it be our adornment. May it be what makes us shine in this world. Please, Father, we need your help. Or else this is just a moving emotional message.

And it doesn't transform us. We need you to transform us, Scott. Help our unbelief, if it's there. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Amen.