38 16.21

INTRODUCTION

While everyone may want different things, there is a common denominator to it all. Everyone wants to be happy. Perhaps there are a few people who don’t want to be happy. There may be a few people who are most content when they’re miserable, but most people want to be happy. If you want to see how pervasive this idea is in society just do a search on, “How To Be Happy.” You will find thousands and thousands of articles addressing this issue telling you what you need to do to be happy.

One article titled, “Five Methods of Finding Personal Happiness” says,

As human beings a life without happiness is meaningless.

Really? There is no meaning to life without happiness? I guess if you don’t have God that’s true. The article goes on to say:

For happiness to be truly felt we have to set goals. Once we have established the goals we want in life then we'll know what we want and can figure out ways to achieve those goals. Then we will have what we deserve.

It’s that last sentence I find the most interesting. We will have what we deserve.

I always cringe when I hear someone say about themselves or about someone else how they deserve something good. Really? Do we really deserve it? That’s not what I read in the Bible.

This article is saying that happiness is the goal and without happiness there's no reason for living.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of stuff you can find on most websites. It’s all about us. It’s all about what we deserve because we deserve better than what we're getting. You deserve to be happy because without it – without happiness – life is meaningless.

But this is not what we find in the Bible. In fact, we find the opposite in the Bible. In the Bible we’re told that those who are truly happy are those that deny themselves of those things the world think will make them happy. Just reread the Beatitudes and see the type of people Jesus called blessed. God know what will truly make us happy and he’s shared it with us in his word. We keep facing problems because we ignore his word and seek after the things we think will make us happy.

SERMON

We are in Matthew 16. We are finishing the chapter. As a quick reminder last week we read where Jesus took the disciples north to a place where he get get alone with his disciples, a place filled with pagan idols. There he asked the disciples who the crowds thought he was. Then he asked the disciples who they thought he was. And when Peter claimed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God, Jesus said that he had been blessed by God. Immediately after this Jesus gives the disciples some distressing news.

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SLIDE 1 This passage, made up of only eight verses, has two parts that don’t necessarily seem to be connected. In the first Jesus tells the disciples about his coming death and in the second he tells them what it means to follow him. I think the two are related through Peter’s reaction to the first. When Jesus tells them what the future looks like for him Peter rejects it. I think the description of following Jesus therefore is in response to Peter’s comment. So let’s look at them a little closer.

After warning them not to tell anyone who he is Jesus begins describing what’s going to happen to him in only a few months. This was not the first time Jesus had given hints about his coming death, but this is the most specific he’d gotten. One commentator lays out Jesus’ comments in five parts. SLIDE 2

Place: Jerusalem

Experience: Suffer many things

Source: the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law

Extent: he will be killed

Results: he will rise on the third day

Place: Jerusalem. Jesus had already mentioned that prophets only died in Jerusalem. In Luke 13 Jesus commented: SLIDE 3

In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day – for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! (Luke 13:33)

So Jesus knows that he must go to Jerusalem.

SLIDE 4 Experience: He will suffer many things. Our minds immediately go to the crucifixion, but Jesus suffered other things as well. There was of course the beating at the hands of the Roman soldiers, but there was also the betrayal by Judas, the denial by Peter, the false accusations by false witnesses, the humiliation of the march to Golgotha, and worst of all forsaking of his father while he was on the cross. He would certainly suffer not just physically, but mentally, and emotionally.

Source: the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law. These three groups made up the Sanhedrin which would hear the trial. Jesus is saying that this wouldn’t happen because of some extremists, but by the recognized leaders of the Jews.

Extent: he will be killed. The result will be his death. So far the leaders have talked about his death. They’ve approached him with thoughts of pushing him over a cliff. They’ve picked up stones to kill him. They’ve conspired with the Sadducees about how they could get rid of him. However, each attempt has failed as Jesus simply slipped away from them. But that would not be the case this time. This time their plans would result in his death.

Jesus said these things must happen. This was God’s will. SLIDE 5

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)

This is what God wanted. It was his plan that Jesus die. But there is good news.

SLIDE 6 Results: he will rise on the third day. Death would not be the end. Even though he died he would rise again. Jesus had already mentioned this too. The first time the Pharisees asked him for a sign, Jesus gave them the sign of Jonah. Like Jonah who had been three days in the belly of a great fish, Jesus said he would spend three days in the earth. Jesus would die at the hands of the religious leaders – they would finally succeed in killing him – but it would not be the end. Jesus would be raised back to life.

Peter must have missed that last part because he immediately corrects Jesus. Actually, the text says that Peter began to rebuke Jesus.

SLIDE 7 As a side note, in case you don’t know, it’s usually not a good idea to correct God. Actually, I can’t think of a time when it would be a good idea and it definitely wasn’t a good time when Peter tried. The response of Jesus is well known.

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23a)

That certainly sounds harsh. Is Jesus calling Peter Satan? Was he saying Peter was being controlled by Satan? Less than two hundred years after Jesus’ death Origen gave this explanation that I think helps put this in proper perspective. What Peter said was not helpful. It was in fact what Satan had been whispering in Jesus’ ears ever since his baptism. After forty days of fasting the devil came to Jesus to tempt him. Each of the three temptations was a way to win the crowds and bypass the cross. Jesus faced and beat each of the temptations. Now it was Peter who was offering the temptation. That’s why Jesus told Peter that he had in mind the things of man and not the things of God.

When I hear the words of Jesus it sounds like he’s angry, buy Origen suggests we look at what Jesus told Satan at the end of the temptations in Matthew 4. After Satan promised to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world if he would just bow down and worship him, SLIDE 8

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ” (Matthew 4:10)

While the two are translated differently into English, in Greek the words are similar. It might help if we used the same word both times, so we’ll use the word “begone.” SLIDE 9 When speaking to Satan Jesus simply says “Begone.” But to Peter Jesus says, “Begone behind me.” To Satan Jesus is saying get out of here. To Peter Jesus is saying, “Follow from behind me and stop trying to lead me.” Jesus wants Satan out of his presence, but he still wants Peter as a disciple – a follower. That is a huge difference.

SLIDE 10 The question I have is how could Peter go from “blessed” in verse 17 having received special revelation from God to being called “Satan” just a few verses later. That was a quick turn of events. How does that happen?

I think the answer is that Peter gave into the desires of the flesh. Jesus had just called him blessed. Jesus had just said God had given Peter information he hadn’t given anyone else. It would be easy for Peter to get a big head. After Peter rebukes Jesus, Jesus tells Peter that he has in mind the things of man – the things of the flesh.

We might be tempted to criticize Peter for “rebuking” Jesus. Who in their right mind would do this. But the truth is it’s done all the time. Who does this? Who rebukes God? We do every time we try to tell God what to do and we do every time we reject God’s will for our lives.

All Jesus did was say something Peter didn’t like. And because he didn’t like it he rejected it. The rationale is if I don’t like it, it must not be from God. If I don’t like it, if it’s distatseful, or if it’s difficult then it must not be from God. We grow impatient with God’s timing, so we rush out to do it our way and in our timing.

Satan’s name means “adversary.” When Peter put this temptation before Jesus to take a shortcut and skip the cross he had become an adversary. When we say no to God we are putting ourselves against God. We make ourselves his adversary. Satan can only do in your life what you allow him to do. Unfortunately we all become the mouth piece of Satan from time to time.

People often assume difficult times in their lives are from the devil. There are times we are attacked from the devil, but the assumption that something isn’t from God simply because we don’t like it is wrong. The author of Hebrews tells us that there are times when God will discipline us. When we do wrong we should be thankful that God disciplines us because his discipline is a sign of his love for us.

As Luther and I were our visiting this morning someone commented about how much more we pray when we are in need. And then commented how quickly we stop praying when the difficulty is over. Do you think God ever allows us to face difficulty to teach us to depend on him? One minute we’re crying our desperately for God, but the minute the crisis is over we forget about him.

Or consider this scenario. We have this great time of worship and feel so incredibly close to God and then get in the car to drive home and yell at a driver who pulls out in front of us. In one minute we are praising God and the next we are cursing our neighbor with the very same tongue.

Peter could say something so smart one minute and so dumb the next for the same reason we do it. We take our eyes and minds off Jesus and focus on ourselves – our wants, our desires, our definition of happiness.

Jesus tells Peter to get behind and follow him and then turns to tell the disciples just what it means to follow him.

24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25)

If we want to follow Jesus we have to deny ourselves. If we want to follow Jesus we can’t follow after happiness, we must follow after Jesus.

A preacher wrote about a conversation he had with a soldier who had just learned he was being sent to Iraq. This was shortly after the US had declared war on Saddam Hussein. The problem for this young man was he didn’t want to go. He explained that he hadn’t joined the army to go to war, he’d joined because of the benefits: the pay, the college tuition, the insurance, etc.

Now, something is wrong with that kind of thinking. One of the primary functions of the military is to prepare for war. I don’t know of anyone who likes to go to war, but you’ve got to know that if you sign up for the army that this is what it could mean. I’m sure its somewhere in the job description. I don’t think armies exist to pass out benefits. Armies exists to deal with conflicts. They exist to defend their countries and to fight the enemy. But there are people who actually join the army hoping for a free ride. That kind of mentality undermines the military of any nation.

That same kind of mentality can also undermine the kingdom of God. Too many believers sign up for the benefits. They expect Jesus to “be there” for them, but they don’t expect to “be there” for Jesus. That’s the issue Jesus is addressing in this description of what it means to follow him. Peter was happy while things were going his way, but as soon as things turned difficult he wanted to go a different way. If we want to follow Jesus we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and then follow him. In other words – it’s not about benefits. It’s about going into the trenches. It’s about being willing (if necessary) to lose your life for Christ.

Going back to the Beatitudes, Jesus ends them by saying: SLIDE 11

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. SLIDE 12 11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. SLIDE 13 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

In fact, Jesus said: SLIDE 14

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22)

Paul wrote to Timothy saying: SLIDE 15

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12)

Peter said to the church of his day: SLIDE 16

12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. SLIDE 17 13But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

A mother had the opportunity to talk to her son, who was deployed to Iraq. He had called from there to say hello and she(being a good Christians woman) asked him if he had to work on Sundays. He paused for a moment and then said, “Mom, we have to work every day. It’s called a war.” As Christians we are soldiers of Christ and we are at war with Satan every day, not just on Sundays.

SLIDE 18 You remember the problems Paul faced. Why would he go through all that? Why put up with that suffering and danger, and death? Paul did all that because he was convinced that Jesus was worth it. Paul was convinced that Jesus WAS the Christ, the Son of the living God Who had come to die for our sins, and rise from the dead to give us hope. Paul was convinced that there was a war to be fought and souls to be won. And Paul was convinced that the fate of men and women around him depended on his faithfulness as a soldier of Jesus Christ. Because Paul believed all that, he was convinced that it was worth it to “deny himself and take up his cross and follow (Jesus). To face the dangers and difficulties this world would throw at him.

Thankfully, most of us will never face those kinds of problems. In our country, we’re not likely to be whipped, or stoned, or beaten with rods because of what we believe. But we must still understand and believe that it’s worth it.

After describing what it means to follow him him Jesus asked a very penetrating question.

26What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. (Matthew 16:26-27)

The world thinks it knows what will truly bring happiness. The world thinks it knows what we need. But while the world can provide pleasure it cannot provide long lasting joy, happiness, or contentment. Those are only found in Jesus. So the question we must ask is are we willing to follow Jesus or do we think we know what’s better?