THE

GREATEST
REASON FOR
LIVING
MT. 16:24-27

Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus said to His
disciples, If anyone
desires to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and
follow Me. 25For whoever
desires to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses
his life for My sake will find
24

For what profit is it to a

man if he gains the whole
world, and loses his own soul?
Or what will a man give in
exchange for his soul? 27For
the Son of Man will come in
the glory of His Father with
His angels, and then He will
reward each according to his
works.
26

INTRODUCTION:

SALVATION IS A GIFT
THAT CAN NOT BE
RESISTED AND WILL
BE SECURED TO THE
RECIPIENT.

John 6:44
No one can come
to Me unless the
Father who sent Me
draws him; and I will
raise him up at the
last day.
44

Ephesians 2:8-9
8
For by grace you
have been saved
through faith, and
that not of
yourselves; it is the
9
gift of God, not of

Romans 11:29
For the gifts and
the calling of God
are irrevocable.
29

THE GRACE OF
GOD IS IRRESISTIBLE
AND EFFICACIOUS!

EVERYONE HAS A
PURPOSE FOR
EXISTENCE.

TO SOME

A.) FOR FAME

B.) FOR FORTUNE
C.) FOR SELF
GRATIFICATION
D.) FOR LOVED ONES
E.) FOR SURVIVAL

BUT THE GREATEST

REASON FOR LIVING
IS FOR THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST!

Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live
is Christ, and to die
is gain.
21

HOW CAN WE LIVE

FOR THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST?

THE SEVEN (7)

BIBLICAL
PRINCIPLES IN
LIVING FOR THE
LORD JESUS
CHRIST:

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His
disciples, If anyone
desires to come after
Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his
cross, and follow Me.
24

I. IT NEEDS A
DELIBERATE
PERSONAL
DECISION:

Luke 14:33
So likewise,
whoever of you does
not forsake all that
he has cannot be My
disciple.
33

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His
disciples, If anyone
desires to come after
Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his
cross, and follow Me.
24

II. IT NEEDS A DENIAL

OF SELF:

Philippians 3:7-8
But what things were gain
to me, these I have counted
loss for Christ. 8Yet indeed
I also count all things loss
for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the loss of all
things, and count them as
7

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His
disciples, If anyone
desires to come after
Me, let him deny
himself, and take up
his cross, and follow
Me.
24

III. IT NEEDS A
LIFETIME
COMMITMENT:

Philippians 3:12-14
I dont mean to say that I
have already achieved
these things or that I have
already reached perfection.
But I press on to possess
that perfection for which
Christ Jesus first possessed
me. 13No, dear brothers and
sisters, I have not achieved
12

but I focus on this one

thing: Forgetting the
past and looking forward
to what lies ahead, 14I
press on to reach the
end of the race and
receive the heavenly
prize for which God,
through Christ Jesus, is

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus said to

His disciples, If
anyone desires to
come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take
up his cross, and
follow Me.
24

IV. IT NEEDS A
WILLINGNESS TO
SACRIFICE:

James 1:2
Consider it pure
joy, my brothers,
whenever you face
trials of many
kinds,

Matthew 16:24
24
Then Jesus said to
His disciples, If
anyone desires to
come after Me, let
him deny himself,
and take up his
cross, and follow

V. IT NEEDS A FULL
SURRENDER:

Ephesians 4:11-13
So Christ himself gave
the apostles, the
prophets, the
evangelists, the pastors
12
and teachers, to equip
his people for works of
service, so that the body
of Christ may be built up.
11

until we all reach

unity in the faith and in
the knowledge of the
Son of God and become
mature, attaining to
the whole measure of
the fullness of Christ.
13

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to
His disciples, If
anyone desires to
come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take
up his cross, and
follow Me.
24

VI. IT NEEDS AN
INTIMATE
RELATIONSHIP:

John 10:3-5
To Him the doorkeeper
opens, and the sheep
hear His voice; and He
calls His own sheep by
name and leads them
4
out. And when He
brings out His own
sheep, He goes before
3

and the sheep follow

Him, for they know His
voice. 5Yet they will by
no means follow a
stranger, but will flee
from him, for they do
not know the voice of
strangers.

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His
disciples, If anyone
desires to come after
Me, let him deny
himself, and take up
his cross, and follow
Me.
24

VII. IT NEEDS A
WHOLE LIFE
OFFERING:

Romans 12:1
I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God,
that you present your
bodies a living
sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God,
which is your
1

CONCLUSION:

WHAT ARE THE GAINS

IN LIVING FOR THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST?

Matthew 16:26
For what profit is it to a
man if he gains the whole
world, and loses his own
soul? Or what will a man
give in exchange for his
soul?
26

EXPERIENCED THE
INNER ASSURANCE OF
ETERNAL LIFE WITH
GOD!

John 10:27-29
My sheep hear My
voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me.
28
And I give them
eternal life, and they
shall never perish;
neither shall anyone
snatch them out of My
27

My Father, who has given

them to Me, is greater than
all; and no one is able to
snatch them out of My
Fathers hand.
29

EXPERIENCED THE JOY

OF THE LORD IN
THEIR HEARTS!

Philippians 4:4
4Rejoice in the Lord
always. Again I will
say, rejoice!

EXPERIENCED THE
INNER PEACE FROM
THE LORD!

John 14:27
Peace I leave with
you, My peace I give to
you; not as the world
gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it
be afraid.
27

EXPERIENCED
CONTENTMENT
THROUGH THE
LORD!

Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I speak in
regard to need, for I
have learned in
whatever state I am, to
be content: 12I know
how to be abased, and
I know how to abound.
11

things I have
learned both to be
full and to be
hungry both to
abound and to
13
suffer need. I can
do all things

Matthew 16:27
27
For the Son of Man
will come in the
glory of His Father
with His angels, and
then He will reward
each according to

EACH WILL
RECEIVE THEIR
REWARDS!

Revelation 22:12
12And behold, I am
coming quickly, and
My reward is with
Me, to give to every
one according to his
work.

Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man
will come in the glory
of His Father with His
angels, and then He
will reward each
according to his works.
27

WILL PARTAKE OF THE

LORDS GLORY!

Colossians 3:4
4When Christ who is
our life appears,
then you also will
appear with Him in
glory.

EXPERIENCED THE
PROMISED MORE
ABUNDANT LIFE!

John 10:10
10
The thief does not
come except to steal,
and to kill, and to
destroy. I have come
that they may have
life, and that they
may have it more