Peter Barnes | Matthew 10:38-39
SERMON NOTES
LOSING OUR LIFE TO FIND IT
Daniel 3:1-30; Matthew 10:38-39
– verse 38 continues from verse 37 (hence the ‘and’)
1. The gospel is about acquittal and discipleship.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer: ‘The justification of the sinner in the world degenerated into the justification of sin and the world. Costly grace was turned into cheap grace without discipleship.’
– John 3:16; Gal.2:16 leads to 2 Pet.3:18. J. C. Ryle: ‘Happy is he who thoroughly understands that though Christianity holds out a crown in the end, it brings also a cross in the way.’
2. To follow Christ is to die.
– 10:38; positive side in 16:24
– refers to John 19:17; Matt.27:32; but Paul uses the image in terms of sanctification e.g. in Col.3:3, 5
3. To lose our life for Christ is to find it.
– 10:39; compare Pilate in Matt.27:11-24 to Stephen in Acts 7:54-60
-. Samuel Rutherford: ‘Christ’s cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sails to a ship, to carry me forward to my harbour.’