READ: Matthew 16:21-28
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.“ – Matthew 16:24
Jesus said we should take up our crosses and follow Him. This speaks of sacrifice.
Thousands of people followed Jesus until He told them to drink His blood and eat His body. As soon as Jesus preached about sacrifice, His church reduced in size. But that is how to do the works of Jesus. It is to believe in the cross and all that it stands for.
If we were to pay the same price we pay for earthly things, perhaps the works of God would increase dramatically. You would become a preacher and a teacher for things you believe in and things you have sacrificed for. Because you have not paid the price, the Gospel is more of a powerless social obligation than a life-giving ministry.
I once spoke to a doctor and asked how many years he had studied medicine. He answered, “About twenty-five years.” But how many days are sacrificed to become a divine healer as Jesus was? The reason why many are not involved in the works is because we do not really believe it is worth dying for. If we were to believe to the extent that we take up our cross, we will begin to do the works of Jesus. I saw the greatest miracles ever when I agreed to sacrificially go to a dangerous place to minister.
If you want to do the works of Jesus, you must believe in the reality of sacrifice. You must follow the example of Jesus and pay the high price God is asking you to pay.