Have You Counted the Cost?
Notes
Transcript
And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. 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.
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. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 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.
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
Introduction
Introduction
The cost of discipleship is the same for us today as for Jesus then. The mission of Jesus is to save lost men. This morning, we will see the message of Jesus to His followers.
Mark was likely the first Gospel written. Under the inspiration of God, he writes with an intent to point his readers toward the Cross and the Empty Tomb. Those who read are faced with a question: who is this Jesus? All of the miracles of Jesus point to the answer that He is God Himself come as the Suffering Sacrifice for the sins of the world.
As we grow in our walk with God this year, we want to be Following in the Life of Faith. The Life of Faith begins with salvation through the Gospel and carries on toward the daily life of service to Jesus. Mark gives us the message of Jesus to all people.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Will you look to Jesus for your salvation today? Will you live as a faithful disciple of Him? Will you look with eagerness to His return to establish His earthly kingdom? Let’s Follow in the Life of Faith this year and see God do something amazing!
There are many different ways that we use the word “follower” today. One of the ways refers to someone who wants to see posts from a person on a social media platform. Another way describes someone who is living or repeating the teachings of another person they rely on. There is even the use of the word “follower” for someone who is going behind a person like a dog.
The common idea in being a follower is that there must be another person in that relationship who is the leader. The Leader is the one who guides, sets the pace, and chooses the direction. The follower must go where the Leader points.
In our passage this morning, we see that Jesus is giving a clear command to those who are interested in going in the same direction behind Him. They must choose to be a faithful disciple, perhaps even to their own death. Later, Paul will point out that the death that is necessary is a inner choice to live by the Spirit instead of the flesh. Discipleship is a choice and that choice comes with a cost. But, the cost of discipleship does receive rewards, as Wiersbe says,
Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament Mark 8:34–38
Discipleship saves us from the tragedy of a wasted life.
Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? Here, we will see what this cost includes. All of us must choose to follow or not.
Declaration
Declaration
A follower of Jesus is characterized by choosing His leading over their desires. Jesus is calling for those who hear to make a decision to value eternity. Today, we must have a surrendered life and a sacrificial obedience to Him.
The Pattern of Discipleship
The Pattern of Discipleship
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.
In verses 27-33, Jesus has been talking to His disciples about what is about to happen in His ministry. Peter is sure that Jesus is the coming Messiah. He has said as much. Jesus then tells them that He will be rejected, die and rise again. This causes them great discouragement. Peter tells Jesus that this cannot be what will happen. Jesus rebukes Peter for missing the will of God here. Instead of what makes sense to man, God is doing what will make man right with Him.
The things of God are the mission of Jesus. Jesus has come to save lost men. Jesus, the perfect disciple, is carrying out God’s plan of redemption as He moves closer to the Cross and Empty Tomb. In verse 34, Jesus begins teaching all of those gathered what their part is in this matter of discipleship.
The statement has four parts: a conditional "Whosoever will come after me", a negative command "let him deny himself", a positive command "and take up his cross", and finally a command to return to the beginning "and follow me." We will see these parts are explained more in the verses that come after. In essence, Jesus is saying this: “If you are a true disciple of me, it will cost you something by your own choice and action.”
1. Let Him Deny Himself
1. Let Him Deny Himself
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. 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.
Jesus begins by commanding those who have assembled, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself.” Jesus begins with a command to choose to deny self. Refuse yourself, He says.
This is the message that Jesus has for us. We are to turn from our desires and our thoughts toward the eternal values of His. We see that Jesus begins to explain this command in verse 35.
Jesus gives a contrasting statement. Someone who guards and protects his life will instead stop possessing it. Someone who releases his life will save it. Jesus uses a special caveat, “for my sake and the gospel’s”. Frivolous risking of life is not what Jesus is talking about. Proper priorities is. Jesus is worthy of following and obeying. The Gospel is the salvation of mankind and it stands as the foundation of our discipleship.
Jesus calls us to deny ourselves. How can we do this? It begins with looking at the right Person.
Denial of self begins with following Jesus and turning toward Jesus. One writer tells us,
Matthew–Luke Comment
Rather, through surrender of—and death to—self-determination and self-reliance, one becomes free from any detracting, fallen, or sinful affection, idol, or loyalty in order to “follow” Jesus’ kingdom rule in an ongoing and maturing way.
Denial of self happens daily when we properly value our lives. The life of a saved person is no longer their own, purchased through their own efforts. The suffering of Jesus purchases for Him the believer and His life. We are His now and we must live accordingly.
Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
Jesus is clear that there must be a choice on our part if we are going to be a disciple of Him. He chose to come to earth to die for our sin. He volunteered because of His love for us. His love for us is to “constrain” us to living for Him. The word Mark uses for “life” here in this verse is the same as the word “soul” in verses 36-37. It gives us the idea that there is an inner life that is ultimately only lived to its fullest in Christ.
Do you want to find fulfillment in your life? Do you need to have a direction or a goal? I cannot imagine how people go through life with no hope and not purpose. Jesus tells us,
He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
When we waste our life, we are living out this reality that we are trying to save our life for our desires. The first part of the cost of discipleship is giving up our will in exchange for His. He calls us to deny ourselves. Denial of self is not the same as self-denial - one is discipline and the other is surrender!
2. Take Up His Cross
2. Take Up His Cross
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Jesus gives the second part of the cost of discipleship in verse 34. He tells them to deny self “and take up his cross”. The cross is first mentioned here in Mark and it gives the perspective of shame, commitment, and sacrifice. The cross is the choice that a disciple makes when he follows Jesus. In Luke, Jesus uses an additional word,
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Taking up a cross is something that we are to do every day, rain or shine, vacation or workday, convenient or intrusive. What does it mean to “take up his cross?” We will see later that Jesus carried His cross to the place where He would die for us. But there was also another who carried the cross of Jesus,
And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
It seems from this verse that Simon may have been or would later have become a follower of Jesus. His sons names seem to be familiar to Mark’s readers. But, while we may not ever carry a physical cross as Jesus and Simon did, we are called to carry our spiritual cross. Everything in our spiritual life begins with the cross and comes back to it. Without His grace, we would be nothing but lost people. One person summarizes it this way,
Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments Cross, Theology of The
For Christianity generally, the “theology of the cross” (or theologia crucis) has been the criterion by which all Christian thinking and living are tested.
Jesus explains what He means by carrying a cross in verses 36-37. He asks two questions:
What benefit would it be if all that could be gotten terrestrially resulted in losing eternity?
What would a person choose to pay for his soul? Can there be anything that would even the balances for a soul?
Jesus is clear that there is something that is more important the physical or monetary. There is something more valuable than happiness in this life. There is a value greater than 100 years of plenty on this earth. That something is the eternal home of the soul. For the rest of time, where will you be?
The Psalmist tells us the value of a soul.
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, And it ceaseth for ever:) That he should still live for ever, And not see corruption.
Carrying the cross is choosing the eternal over the temporary. Taking up the cross is following Jesus and allowing Him to teach us to be living sacrifices. We have a choice whether we will be like our Saviour. Joseph Parker tells us,
Preaching through the Bible: Mark-John Chapter 8: Feeding the Four Thousand
The “follower” is not the man in the crowd who can hardly give any account of himself; who is there because other people are there;
Have you taken up your cross? Jesus does not tell us to take His cross but our cross. Whatever, wherever, however Jesus is working in you to follow Him - will you? Pick up your cross each morning and follow Him.
3. Follow Me
3. Follow Me
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. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
The final portion of the command of Jesus is really a return to how He introduced the command in the first place. Jesus tells those listening to “Follow me.” Jesus is the Leader and He is moving. Are we moving behind the Leader?
There is a children’s game that we all probably played at some point our lives. It is called “Follow the Leader”. All of the kids walking in a line behind the chosen “Leader.”
There is another children’s game that we may have played as well. It is called “Simon Says”. The person in the front will give a command and the people listening are only supposed to follow if the phrase “Simon says” comes before the command. Anyone who makes a mistake sits down.
Both of these games divide people among leaders and followers. The Christian life is no different. We are all followers but we have one Leader. Are we listening for His commands and making sure to be close behind Him whichever way He might go?
Jesus explains what it means to “follow me” in verses 38-9:1. Following Jesus means that people will see the disciple with Him. They will know that the disciple belongs to Him.
Part of the challenge of being a disciple of Jesus is that most people did not like Him in His life and most will not like you either. Jesus was clear about the way that His disciples would be treated.
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
The reality of negative words is not what is the focus of what Jesus is saying. How we respond to hardship is the most important part of being a follower of Jesus. In verse 38, Jesus tells His followers that shame is destructive.
If a person who experiences hardship in this life is ashamed of Jesus, Jesus will also be ashamed of them. Truly, they were not a genuine disciple. The cross is a divisive signal of those who identify with His shame. So Paul,
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
There is going to be hardship for the disciple when he commits to Jesus. There will be times that the road ahead is discouraging. Perhaps the path will be unclear and it will be too dark to see the Leader. One writer tells us,
Dictionary of Paul and His Letters 2. E. Käsemann on Paul and the Theology of the Cross
Wherever the church takes the cross of Christ seriously, it can expect to encounter hostility.
But through it all, we are commanded to “Follow Me”. Jesus is looking for those who will turn from their own sinful hearts, pick up what He calls them to, and go after Him. Jesus says, “Will you follow me?”
Verse 1 of chapter 9 takes us farther along the path that Jesus is leading on. He is moving ever closer to the cross and He is preparing His disciples for that moment. It seems to point to the kingdom arrival in the final work of Jesus in crucifixion and resurrection. The next section will be the transfiguration which sets the stage.
Will the disciples follow Him? Will we? Following Jesus brings with it discouragement and hardship. Jesus calls us to follow Him with commitment not shame. The surrendered life is living in light of the cross that Jesus suffered on for us.
Conclusion
Conclusion
There is a Disney movie that was released in 1966 entitled Follow Me, Boys! It was the final film that premiered during Walt Disney’s lifetime. In the film, the main character begins a Boy Scout troop in a small town. Through many different comedic circumstances, the troop develops into a successful program for the various boys in town. No matter their economic condition, they learn useful skills at the troop meetings.
The main song in the film is also entitled “Follow Me, Boys!” After the film was released, there were discussions to use the song as the main song for the Boy Scouts organization. This never materialized. However, the message of the film and of the song is still relevant to those needing direction today. People are in need and they are looking for a Leader to follow.
Jesus is the Leader and He is calling His followers to come behind Him.
Have you begun following Jesus? Choosing good things and hoping for the best is not following Jesus. Everything begins with the cross and the sacrifice that Jesus made for your sins. All of us are sinners. We cannot do anything of ourselves to obtain salvation. We need a Leader who gave His life for us. Jesus is that Leader that the world lost in its sin is looking for. Will you call out to Him for salvation today?
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
A follower of Jesus is characterized by choosing His leading over their desires. Jesus is calling for those who hear to make a decision to value eternity. Today, we must have a surrendered life and a sacrificial obedience to Him.
Are you surrendered to Him? Have you given up your desires? Are you living out His call in your life? Will your life count for eternity?
The applications are numerous. We all have a fight every single day to make sure that our flesh is crucified, our desires are behind His, and we are close behind His leading in our life. As one person has said, “the problem with a living sacrifice is that it always is trying to crawl off the altar.”
But have you counted the cost? Are you a good disciple? Would Jesus turn and see you following as He has commanded you? The Bible is clear, our lives must be surrendered to Him. We are followers of the Leader who died for us.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The will of God is that we would choose to follow no matter the cost. But
The paradox of salvation is that it costs us nothing, yet it costs us everything. Salvation comes through faith alone, apart from any works that we can do…Yet to depend on Christ for salvation means giving up your old life, with its pride, conceit, and ambition.
- Mark Strauss
Will you give it up? Will you be surrendered this morning? The life of a disciples begins and ends with the cross. Surrender is the only proper choice for the believer when he looks at the Cross and counts the cost that his salvation took. Will you choose to come after Jesus today?
