For Above All Else

Scripture Reading

Mark 8:34–38 KJV 1900

34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Intro

I don’t have a lot of introductory comments to make tonight to lead into my message.

I do however want to tell you a story about a young man who at 15 yrs old went to youth camp

He went to camp expecting to be the same as every other year

Play basketball go swimming , go to the services and all the other fun activities

Now this young man was not much of the outgoing type he typically stayed to himself and participated but never really commited to church

But at 15 years old there was a message that was preached one night at that youth camp that touched him so deeply he didn’t go back for the late night activities he went back to his cabin and set by himself

He was totally convicted by the preaching that night, and he poured his heart out on the altar giving God everything he knew following all the instructions but he never broke through to the Holy Ghost

Fast forward to that Sunday and he had made the decision to be baptized in Jesus Name, but he thought word got out so he cancelled last minute and didnt show up to Prayer meeting to be baptized. Instead he called his pastor and had him come over between services and baptize him

It was a very intimate baptism just He his grandfather the pastor and his wife attending

It wasn’t much longer and he did pray through to the holy ghost

Now the story I told like a lot of the ones I do is my story

I can still remember that ride back up to the church that Sunday.

And I made it because in my mind there was a recognition that above all else, I must be saved

My friend I know that this is not a new message to you all here tonight but this is what the Lord has been dealing with me for this service is simply “For Above All Else I Must Be saved”

Body

We opened our service tonight reading from the 8th chapter of the book of Mark

At this point Peter has just confessed Jesus as Lord

You know that is some many people in todays world definition of salvation is to just confess him as your Lord and Savior

And that is enough

No covenant

No commitment

No Repentance

No Change

Just confess him as Lord and Savior

But truly making God the priority in your life

I know that I may just be preaching to myself here tonight

But I’m telling you we are living in a period and a time of the onslaught of the enemy

And sometimes it takes more than just confessing that he is Lord

Sometimes it is going to take making him Lord

Making Him first priority

Jesus goes from from calling Peter the rock to calling him the devil

Not because he didn’t accept him or identify him as Lord but because he rebuked the Lord for talking about suffering

The truth is that none of us want to suffer

Nobody want to go through the wringer

But sometimes you got to go through the refiners fire to come out pure

I will give you an example

Every time I go to fast It’s not very long in I begin to feel the enemy tell me I can’t do it

That I’m to weak

Just go ahead and eat a bite it wont hurt

But my friend let me remind you it was Eve’s appetite that introduced sin into this world

Because we dont want to feel those pangs

We dont want to feel the stomach churning with hunger

But Jesus said sometimes you have to get that spirit that is averse to him behind you

You cant allow that spirit to rise up

But this message that followed wasnt meant just for the disciples but he said if any man will deny himself

I know I have said it a lot lately but that means denying the flesh, the things your want , the way you want to do it, the time you want it done

Take up his cross

The symbol guilt and shame

It was a public judgement for an individual

It’s not something that we can do in secret, it has to be done in public

I’m not a different person in private than I am in Public, for good or for bad

Matthew 6:25–34 KJV 1900

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Proverbs 4:23 KJV 1900

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

vIn Proverbs, “heart” isn’t only feelings. It’s the inner control center:

desires

decisions

loyalties

thoughts

will

“Issues of life” = the outflow, the streams, the direction your life takes.