Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Now

Now

Introduction: Illustration (Football investment vs.

School Investment)

-The Secret to this Life is not the pursuit of success, but the pursuit of what’s most important.

It is possible to be successful in business, education, parenting, and your religious life and still fail……You would think that success is these areas would be the very definition of “The American Dream”

-A·mer·i·can dream-the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.

-Definition of Failure--to successfully pursue the wrong thing……

…Illustration of the cereal box, Illustration of pursuing bad relationships, Illustration of pursuing careers that you don’t have the talent for.

Illustration of the cereal box, anybody for season chase after the wrong man or women and then at the end thought to yourself “Lawd Have mercy that was a waste of 6 years”

Good investment—Your marriage, your children, your job, education, hobby, finances, free-time.

But all of these can turn bad real quick if they are not kept in perspective.

-

Then

-Jesus ministry is expanding.

He is traveling from city to city healing the blind, feeding the hungry, preaching the word.

Whatever city he entered the whole town descended on him, because of the news about him spreading from town to town.

But this is a conversation not for the crowds but his followers; the disciples.

Look at

-In Jesus next sermon he will turn into an investment broker to see

matthew 16

-During this private conversation with the disciples Jesus began to prophesy about his impending death with details(v.21) he even told them he would be raised.

-(v.22)

Look at Ole Pete “Peter took him aside” I love that phraseology.

How does one pull the coat tail of the one the walk on water, raised the dead, exorcised demons, and feed five thousand, that takes a lot of nerve.

-(v.23)

Then Jesus checked him!!! Notice the rebuke at the end this is critical to understanding these next verses “for you are not setting your mind on God’s interest, but man’s”

Audience

After that Jesus says these verse:

-(v.24)

Then Jesus said to His disciples-Jesus audience is a lot of religious people, not necessarily saved folks.

These are people just testing him out to see if he is the Messiah, or they are following him just to get his stuff….healing,

and free food.

matthew

Always

Always

-Your eternal destiny will be determined by your decision to set your mind on God’s interest and not your own.

I. What is the right Pursuit?

-(v.24) “If Anyone wishes to pursue me (make me a priority)” universal call

(v.24) “If Anyone wishes to pursue me (make me a priority)” universal call

(v.24) “he must deny himself” This means to relinquish your dreams, goals, and pursuits for something else…..He must also be willing(salvation like marriage is a commitment to do something) to do something else:

(v.24)

Take up his cross and follow Me.

a.

Take up his cross-This is to willingly pursue a death sentence or more specifically it is a commitment to live a self sacrificing life.

It is a commitment to willingly give up those things that displease God. 

b.

Follow Me-This is a willingness to be obedient to whatever your new Master ask you to do.

Matthew 16:21

-in (v.21-23)

There was a reason that Peter said Jesus you cannot go.

Peter believe that the Eschaton was happening and that he would be sitting next Jesus in the New Kingdom.

-in (v.21-23)

There was a reason that Peter said Jesus you cannot go.

Peter believe that the Eschaton was happening and that he would be sitting next Jesus in the New Kingdom.

-After Jesus Death, Burial and Reserrection Peter was the leader of the NT church.

He suffered greatly for the gospel and he was crucified upside down believing that to be crucified right side up would be disrespectful to our Lord.

-You see in the end Peter denied himself his own interest, his own plans, his own destiny and put it into the hands of his Jesus.

This led to his death, but it also lead to his exaltation.

II.

What is the wrong Pursuit?

MATT

(v.25) “For whoever” (Universal Call) “wishes”-----Jesus says I have a personal message for you.

-(v.25)

“For whoever” (Universal Call) “wishes”-----Jesus says I have a personal message for you.

(v.25)

“to save his life will lose it” Those that hold onto their life pursuits, possession, and passions will lose them all.

Salvation is essentially giving back to God what’s due him.

And that is your life.

He created you so he is well within his rights to ask for your life back.

But he is so loving that he lets you make that decision.

That word “lose” is: apolumi: which is a permanent destructive lose.

Like watching your phone fall in the ocean, or watching your house burn to the ground..This is not like losing your keys, which can be found again.

It’s like the end of Avengers when “Thanos” just disappeared.

-Can you imagine all of your life pursuits just going up in smoke.

Everything you have accomplished reduced to rubble.

I was a good father rubble, I was a diligent worker rubble, I was a gracious philanthropist rubble, I was a watchful neighbor rubble, I earned a PhD rubble,I retired with over a million in my 401k rubble, I was faithful to my wife our whole marriage rubble, but I thought that’s how you enter the pearly gates or whatever heaven is, nope Rubble..... tells us how you enter in and none of it is based on the previous stuff I just mentioned.

(v.25) “but whoever loses his life for my Sake will find it” Jesus promises life to those that pursue his dreams, passions, and desires.

(v.25)

“but whoever loses his life for my Sake will find it” You must make decision to put all of your pursuits to death, and then take on the pursuits of your new Husband(Jesus).

You see marriage and children are the best way to understand Salvation via analogy.

Being married says “I cannot live like a single person anymore, It says my hopes and dreams must be sacrificed if they conflict with the purposes of my marriage.(Let

me get messy,,married people keeping separate accounts) The Marriage supersedes your personal life pursuits because your marriage has a higher priority than personal life pursuits.....Same with your children.

Illustration

matthew 19

-Jesus then asks two penetrating question.

These questions are not meant to be answered but meditated on.

a. Question #1-“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

What stands out to you in this question?

-Jesus wants you to meditate on the stupidity of chasing all this world has to offer, at the expense of your relationship to him, then losing it all when you die!!!!

That is a bad investment because there is no return on this!!

b.

Question #2-“Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Jesus is essentially asking you to come up with at least one thing that you would exchange your eternal destiny for.

What in your life is keeping you from making a decision to follow Christ?

What thing in your life are you holding onto that’s worth eternity in Hell rather than eternity in Heaven with God.

III.

Why Does it Matter?

Investment forecasting---is the science of predicting where the financial markets will fluctuate in the future....Yall remember the commercial “When E.F Hutton talks people listen”

-E.F Hutton was a brokerage firm who where supposed to be expert in predicting where future markets would go.