Title: Self-Denial
Author: Stephen Whitney
Text: Luke 9:23-26
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born in Germany on February 4, 1906. His father was a famous neurologist and shortly after his birth he became professor of psychiatry at the University of Berlin.
By the age of 16, Dietrich had decided to become a pastor in the Lutheran Church. His brothers opposed his decision and said that he should not give his life to such a wasteful cause. With
his own strong determination and resolution Dietrich replied, "If the church is feeble, I shall reform it."
After his formal theological training he became a professor at the university and taught in the church. The election in Germany in 1932 brought about the Nazi rise to power and set the stage for the struggle between the German Church and the Nazi party.
Dietrich became the leader of the evangelical church in Germany which opposed Hitler and the Nazi party principles. As a result, his license to teach was revoked in 1936 and a year later the seminary he founded was closed.
His first book was published that year in 1937 titled, The Cost of Discipleship. In his study of the Sermon on the Mount he harshly criticized what he called, "cheap grace" that churches had been preaching and he called for "costly discipleship" to Jesus Christ.
He said, "The cross is laid on every Christian . . . as we embark upon discipleship, we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death - we give over our lives to death.
When Christ calls a man, he bid him come and die. It may be
a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home
and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther's who
had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is
the same death every time - death in Jesus Christ, the death of
the man to his call."
SAY NO TO SELF :23
Follow me
Come after - to follow Jesus as his disciple to learn from him.
Jesus had just told his disciples for ...
Author: Stephen Whitney
Text: Luke 9:23-26
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born in Germany on February 4, 1906. His father was a famous neurologist and shortly after his birth he became professor of psychiatry at the University of Berlin.
By the age of 16, Dietrich had decided to become a pastor in the Lutheran Church. His brothers opposed his decision and said that he should not give his life to such a wasteful cause. With
his own strong determination and resolution Dietrich replied, "If the church is feeble, I shall reform it."
After his formal theological training he became a professor at the university and taught in the church. The election in Germany in 1932 brought about the Nazi rise to power and set the stage for the struggle between the German Church and the Nazi party.
Dietrich became the leader of the evangelical church in Germany which opposed Hitler and the Nazi party principles. As a result, his license to teach was revoked in 1936 and a year later the seminary he founded was closed.
His first book was published that year in 1937 titled, The Cost of Discipleship. In his study of the Sermon on the Mount he harshly criticized what he called, "cheap grace" that churches had been preaching and he called for "costly discipleship" to Jesus Christ.
He said, "The cross is laid on every Christian . . . as we embark upon discipleship, we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death - we give over our lives to death.
When Christ calls a man, he bid him come and die. It may be
a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home
and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther's who
had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is
the same death every time - death in Jesus Christ, the death of
the man to his call."
SAY NO TO SELF :23
Follow me
Come after - to follow Jesus as his disciple to learn from him.
Jesus had just told his disciples for ...
There are 11407 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
