2-25-2018 - Sacrifice

Sermon

Thesis: Your life is worth whatever you spend it on.

Your life is worth whatever you spend it on.

For kids: Giving up something for Lent

Giving up something for Lent

Something good

Something you like

Why?

Because we give up things we want ourselves for people we love.

Me

If Jesus came back and took over the economy I would probably vote him out of office.

He’s not a Republican

He’s not a Democrat

But that’s not the worst of it

Jesus didn’t teach capitalism

Like a communist, he did not believe in owning property

Under his rule, People get paid before they work

But Unlike a communist, not everybody gets paid the same thing

There are still servants and masters in Jesus kingdom.

One of the most perplexing things to me in Scripture is that in Revelation chapter 22: after the world has been destroyed and remade as the new Jerusalem with Jesus in charge, there are still other kings in the world ruling over people

I’m not sure what heaven will be like, but as I read scripture it sounds less and less like America and the kind of place I’m used to living. While there's a lot of good about that, I think I'm going to be dealing with a bit of culture shock.

While there's a lot of good about that, I think I'm going to be dealing with a bit of culture shock.

While there's a lot of good about that, I think I'm going to be dealing with a bit of culture shock.

We

I don't think it is just me either.

I think many of us are going to realize that heaven runs by different rules than our world.

For instance, in heaven your chief responsibility is not taking care of yourself.

All that we do to care for ourselves we will be doing for our neighbors in heaven.

We won't fight distractions from God in heaven, because they won't be allowed. They may not even exist.

The idea of living for Jesus will take on a different kind of meaning.

Far beyond going to church or reading our bibles.

We will be known for what we do, not for the sinful things we try not to do.

The hard truth though, is that Jesus asks us to start living according to Heaven's rules now, even while we still live in exile, away from His Kingdom.

That means we have to let our life built in this world die.

This is what Jesus means when he tells us to pick up our crosses and follow Him.

God

Scripture

For disciples: The Way of Jesus

Jesus Predicts His Death

Mark 8:31 NIV

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Co-text?

Right after Transfiguration and Peter confessing Jesus as Christ

Jesus only needed 1 convert before going to the cross.

Jesus's Sacrifice

Rejection by those who were supposed to be waiting for him.

This is a bad plan.

Who gains by Jesus death at 33 years old?

What could Jesus and the disciples have gained with one more year?

Remember, within a year the gospel had been spread throughout the Roman Empire.

How much more could have been done if Jesus had stayed with them 1 more year?

Mark 8:32 NIV

He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Peter recognized this was a bad plan.

Conflict with Jesus part 1

Peter vs Jesus

How can you see Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, transfigured on the mountain,

Confess Jesus as the Christ or messiah,

And the next words out of your mouth are trying to tell Jesus He has the wrong idea?

Jesus as Lord but not Savior

Not really Lord

Misunderstanding of true enemies

This is not about flesh and blood enemies

This is not about cultural conflicts

This is a battle for the hearts and souls of all creation.

Mark 8:33 NIV

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

That is more or less what Jesus tells Peter, in stronger language.

Conflict with Jesus part 2

Jesus vs Peter

Ched Myers sums up the episode as follows:

Peter: Jesus is Messiah.

Jesus silences Peter (8:30).

Jesus: Son of Man must suffer (8:31).

Peter silences Jesus (8:32).

Jesus silences Peter (8:33).

Jesus silences Peter as Satan’s spokesman.

As he earlier did the demons.

Ched also points out that, if you want to follow Jesus, you have to get behind Him.

Trying to stay in front of Jesus does not make you a follower, it makes You a stumbling block.

For Crowd: The Way of the Cross

Mark 8:34–37 NIV

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Mark 8:34

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Sacrifice

Actions speak louder than words

True obedience requires sacrifice

We all will lose our life someday

What does it mean to lose your life for Jesus?

Mark 8:38 NIV

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Shame

"Gundry suggests that “take up your cross” means be prepared to be ridiculed, spit on, be seen and treated as a criminal, be thought to be guilty of shameful things. There is, however, no reason why Jesus could not have in addition meant this remark rather literally—be prepared to die a shameful death by public execution."

"Crucifixion was justly called the extreme penalty and was reserved for the most hardened criminals and those committing treason against the state. Thus Jesus’ exhortation would not be seen as an appealing call to discipleship in its original setting. The exhortation means that the disciple in principle gives up his right to his own life up-front. He would be affirming a willingness to give all, even his very life, in order to follow Jesus."

You

What do your actions say about you?

Do you see Jesus in where you are going today?

Or are you hoping they will look back and see Him behind you.

We

What are we willing to give up for Jesus?

Gaither movie nights vs giving up Wednesday nights for rest home in Jonesville

What are we willing to give up for Jesus?