This Week's Worship

Walking in the Dust

Theme

Following Christ and becoming His disciple are not necessarily identical. Anyone may follow the Lord, but not everyone who follows Him can properly be called His disciple. To follow Jesus in a way that truly makes one His disciple requires a particular commitment. Jesus describes this commitment as “denying oneself and taking up the cross.”

How, then, should these words of Jesus be applied to us today? Should they be understood literally, as they were in the context of His own time, or should they be interpreted and applied anew within the context of the present age? What, ultimately, does it mean to become a disciple of Jesus?

Mark 8:34-38 (NJKV)

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”