deny what?

Part of life as a follower of Jesus is this idea of saying yes to Him and no to myself.  Jesus says in Luke 9 "whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself and take up their cross daily and follow me."  In a me first culture that just does not seem like an attractive alternative..but it is.  The kicker is the tag on the end of that verse, " and follow me."  Follow Jesus..read this quote from John Wimber:

What if we loved what Jesus loved? What if we let God be God and we just be His people? What if self-protection wasn’t the issue and we didn’t care about looking foolish? What would God do?

Don’t you want to know? Don’t you want to find out?”

What if we actually followed Jesus?  Paul writes in Philippians 2 " Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value other above yourselves. not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."
So is this the life we are called to if we follow Jesus?  to be servants? to not look first to myself but actually look to see what might benefit others first?  I this what the church is to look like?  IS THIS WHAT I AM  SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE?  Oh boy...

So what would happen if we let God be God and we just be His people?  What if we just loved Jesus?  What if we did not care if we looked foolish?  I think God would move in awesome ways.. And I want to find out.  Even as I came to this a bit reluctant I am now in a place of excitement to see what God will do is we give Him His Church back.  I want to see a place where looking cool is not as important as experiencing His presence.... Where caring for the broken takes precedence over taking care of the building.... Where being connected to others is more important than protecting my space...  i think that is what Barb and I want to invite people into,  the wonder of what John talked about years ago, to find out what God would do if we just loved Jesus and let God be God...That is the question, don't you want to find out?  We do...
Bill