Opinion to Obedience
Notes
Transcript
OPINION TO OBEDIENCE 輿論變成順服
OPINION TO OBEDIENCE 輿論變成順服
INTRO
INTRO
As humans we love to opinions about everything. You ask us a question about anything from food to politics and we will give you our opinion. Some of us might be more opinionated than others but all of us have our opinions. There is a story of a man who walked up to the President of the USA as they finished making the atomic bomb, and he said “Mr. President, I am expert in bomb making, and I can promise you this thing will never blow up, it is a waste of money.” Sometimes opinions don’t mean very much do they? And when it comes to the person of Jesus, everyone from the taxi driver here in Taiwan, to Donald Trump, or Nietzsche the philosopher have an opinion on Christ. But are our opinions enough? C.S. Lewis the great philosopher once said that there are only two responses to the person of Jesus that make sense, one being anger or frustration. These are people that see the teachings of Jesus, really see what He taught, the claims He made not only about Himself, but also about what He demands of us, and they are angry. The other person is the person repentance and faith. Finally the only one that doesn’t make sense is indifference. It shows this person hasn’t really taken the teachings of Jesus seriously and considered them. Today we are headed for the turning point in the Gospel Mark, it is the moment where Jesus looks at His disciples and HE asks them this question “Who Do You Say I Am”. It is that same question that Jesus will ask every one us today. Jesus is calling us to move from Opinion to Obedience.
耶穌和門徒出去，要到該撒利亞．腓立比附近的村莊。在路上他問門徒說：「人說我是誰？」他們回答：「有人說是施洗的約翰；有人說是以利亞；還有人說是先知裡的一位。」他又問他們說：「那麼你們呢？你們說我是誰？」彼得回答：「你就是基督。」耶穌鄭重地囑咐他們，不要把他的事告訴人。
Jesus went out with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They answered him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.” “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he strictly warned them to tell no one about him.
Public Opinion 輿論
Public Opinion 輿論
1.Context: Jesus leads them far away up North to a place that had so much cultural overtones. Jesus leads His disciples to this road where He stood in front of a huge rock. This place was important for two reasons. This place in Greek culture was actually seen as the door to Hades(Hell) and ruled by the god Pan. So you have pagan idolatry(Matthew 16). However this place was also a piece of land that Herod had gifted to Caesar and renamed in honor of him. So now you have this religious nationalism, where people worshiped the political ruler. It would be similar to Jesus standing in front of the largest temple in Taiwan and Kang She Check Memorial Hall. Jesus stands in the midst of both of these things, in between both of these worldviews, and points to His disciples and ask them who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am? Do we recognize the point that Jesus is trying to make? He intentionally brought them here for this purpose.
Is Public Opinion Enough?
2.In Mark what have we heard?
Teacher, healer, Son of Man, prophet, reincarnated John the Baptist. Everyone from Herod, a ruler, to peasants had an opinion of who they thought Jesus was. Being known as a prophet isn’t a bad thing right? Being known as John The Baptist resurrected isn’t a horrible reputation, but it was all wrong, it isn’t the right answer.
Current culture, who do people say Jesus is?Prophet, religious teacher, political figure, moral example
Court of public opinion(right now people can ruin their lives in 30 secs, YouTube ect)Even now is harder, because with our distracted minds we are ruled by public opinion and public perception rather than personal convictions. Did you know that the people behind Facebook, instagram, YouTube, actually engineer your social media to make sure you only get news and stories that confirm what you already think, and some of those stories aren’t even real, aren’t even true! A fight starts or argument, boom a phone comes out records the worst part of that person’s life, no context, and public opinion has ruled that person a monster and their life is over. Public opinion is shallow, Jesus is calling you and I to something way deeper.
Christianity has always been a counter cultural movement. We shouldn’t be surprised when the claims of Christianity go against our culture(Taiwan).
3. Important For us to Know-apologetics
Facebook post of guy who commented on CityLight page.
Isaiah 6 He was aware of the sin of his people, and his own sin. These are the people God uses. Important for us to be sensitive to these things around us.
Personal Confession 個人承認
Personal Confession 個人承認
Peter confesses: Messiah(who?): The questions has been answered! Mark 4:41
And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
門徒非常懼怕，彼此說：「這到底是誰，連風和海都聽從他？」
Now there are some of you who have strong opinions about certain things. For example, should we wear masks? Some of you might think absolutely, while others might think it’s some kind of conspiracy! Or I know there are some of us who will eat anything that is put in front of us, while some of us have strong opinions about how we shouldn’t eat anything that isn’t certified organic, from a farm that treats all their animals with kindness. It’s okay to have opinions about those kinds of things, however all of those things fail in comparison to this one question that Jesus is asking us “Who Do You Say That I Am!” He is not asking for your opinion, but from your heart, He is calling us to make a personal confession of who we believe Him to be. Because Jesus knows the human heart, and He knows that no one will give their life for a mere opinion? I’ve seen grown men fight over which sport team was better, but no one is going to risk their life for an opinion about food. That is the point that Jesus says, to make until the end, to follow Me where I am going, staying in the realm of public opinion isn’t enough! There has to be something deeper something, stronger, and so HE calls for the disciples to answer personally, who do you think I am? We are going to the cross, we are about to journey into some of the most difficult days of ministry, and if you just think I’m a prophet, I’m a miracle worker, you won’t last. So Peter gives this answer “You are the Messiah”. You Are Lord. You Are God’s anointed One, the one who has been promised to come and rescue God’s people and save us from our sins!
2 things about this confession
It is by supernatural revelation Matthew 16:17
耶穌對他說：「約拿的兒子西門，你是有福的，因為這不是人指示你的，而是我在天上的父啟示你的。
Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.
Jesus calls Peter “blessed” why? because God opened His eyes to see the glory of who Jesus is.
Did you know that if you are able to confess Jesus is Lord, Jesus calls you blessed.
Let’s step back for a moment, because this is Peter. The same guy that saw Jesus speak to a demon and it comes out of a person, the same man who saw Jesus raise a dead girl, the same man who, when the boat was about to sink and they were about to lose their lives, he saw Jesus come up and literally speak to the waves and quiet them, and Jesus says, still apart from all of that, in order for you to see me for who I really am, you, Peter, still need a supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God! If Peter needed that, if the disciples needed that, how much more do we?!
This is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. That you and I can say in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord is a miracle. There are millions of people who look at other things that are not god, and call them god, but the fact that you are sitting here and can say Jesus is Lord, Jesus is beautiful, Jesus is glorious, it isn’t something you’ve done, something I’ve done, but that has been done to us by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit! We should rejoice in that.
There is a story of a man and woman who were about to get married and they sold a bunch of stuff in their garage to clean out their new house. One thing they sold was a crumpled up copy of the declaration of independence that was in their garage. Another man came spotted it, realized what it was, and bought if for $3 (100NT). However, this other man knew the worth of this document and later auctioned it off for half a million dollars(14,734,500NT)! What was trash to one man, was treasure to another. In order for us to see Christ as our treasure, there has to be a work of the Spirit!
In the same way, if you are someone who is here, and before you were completely blind to Christianity, had no interest, or even against it, but now your eyes are being opened, your heart is beginning to see the beauty of Christ, and in fact Jesus is already beginning to change you, I want you to know you are experiencing a supernatural, other worldly work of the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus says this is not something that you can do, but it’s something that is being done TO you, by the power of God! Amen!
ii. It involves supernatural transformation: Ultimately this confession goes from having an opinion about Jesus to ultimately obeying Jesus. This is where it becomes hard doesn’t it?
“It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey.” S. Kierkegaard We need a powerful work of the Spirit.
“And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it is in this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists.” Moby Dick He becomes Lord, not us. But this isn’t a Lord who came to give us LIFE AND LIFE ABUNDANTLY, who says when I am Lord of your life, you experience true joy!
That means that Jesus is Lord of our lives, not us. This is good news! This should change everything about how we live, how we parent, how we use our finances, how we relate to our spouses in marriage, ect. For those of you who are leaders, business leaders, parents coaches, that means the way we lead our businesses, the way we coach, the way we parent, the we relate to our spouse should be different, because we don’t act or lead just however we want to, we actually have a higher standard, Jesus is Lord.(story of Hudson saying that to me)
Divine Revelation神的啟示
Divine Revelation神的啟示
Suffering Savior:He began to “teach”
There was an initial confession by Peter, but that doesn’t stop the continued revelation and teaching of Jesus. For every single one of us. Are we still hungry and humble? Even though we’ve committed our lives to Christ do we still believe and understand that there are endless depths to the richness of the knowledge of God? Let’s keep learning, let’s keep growing. Let’s continue to sit under the masterful teaching of Jesus Christ.2 Peter 3:18 “continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18
你們卻要在我們的主、救主耶穌基督的恩典和知識上長進。願榮耀歸給他，從現在直到永遠。阿們。
How are you and I continuing to grow in His grace, and in His knowledge? Did you know God wants us to keep growing in our knowledge of who He is? That verse is actually a command of the Bible. We are commanded to grow, or increase, going further into the grace of God, further into the knowledge of God.
It would be similar if after our wedding night, the next day, Allison sat down and wanted to talk and share more of her heart with me, and instead of excitement and hunger, I said “oh no, I don’t want to know anymore, I know enough to marry you and that’s it.” How offensive would that be to her? How much does that show how LITTLE I think about her, and yet how often do we treat the Lord in the same way, I know enough to be “Saved” but I don’t hunger to search the unsearchable depths of the God who created quantum physics and the universe. 5 course meal, but never get full, how can we continue to be hungry to grow in the knowledge of who He is?
Teach what?
Son of Man. Daniel 7, power and glory. Majesty. This is what God’s power looks like?!But you are talking about the Lord of glory, the God of the universe. The one who made the stars, the seas, why. Why would anyone do this??
Necessary: “unavoidable determined by prior circumstances” sovereignty of God.
Acts 2:23
Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him.
他照著 神的定旨和預知被交了出去，你們就藉不法之徒的手，把他釘死了。
Suffer and rejected by whom?The elders, the chief priests, and the scribes. They were the three power groups of the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish body. Jesus would be killed, not by a lawless mob but by Israel’s religious leaders.
To us, we aren’t too surprised by this because we’ve heard the gospel many times and know that Jesus had to die, but could you imagine being the disciples in this moment? The moment where God reveals to you who Jesus is, His anointed, powerful Messiah, and then now you sit down for a teaching, like you’ve done many times before, and then your friend, your Lord, powerful miracle worker begins to teach you about His suffering and death? That with Jesus’ mention of Daniel 7 explains the reaction of Peter. Peter doesn’t think that it should end this way. Even though Jesus mentions His resurrection, they never really get that part until they see it with their own eyes.
Many Taiwanese myths and legends are all tragic. They have these stories of deaths and sorrow, but this death isn’t final nor does it end in tragedy it ends with victory. Same for those in Christ. Paul says since Christ has been raised, we will be raised with Him!
OPENLY(boldly confidently) Jesus taught these things openly, where they were hidden before, in parables and riddles. Jesus is not ashamed of the cross, He is plainly teaching about the suffering that He will have to endure and the victory through His resurrection. Are we ashamed of the Gospel? Do we shrink back from telling people about Jesus’ death and His resurrection? Paul in Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.
我不以福音為恥；這福音是 神的大能，要救所有相信的，先是猶太人，後是希臘人。
2. God’s Desires and Plans:
Peter Rebukes Jesus:
That’s what would we do wouldn’t it? Let’s not be too hard on Peter. How many of us have done the same thing?Look at how gracious and patient Jesus is. He allows this fisherman to take Him aside and say “Jesus you don’t know what you are doing here”. Famous athlete(MJ) I’m like dude listen just give me the ball…We are staggered at his impudence; but have there not been times when we too have questioned God’s way of working and suggested to him another pattern, closer to our way of thinking?
Jesus Rebukes Peter
What is Satan’s agenda? Self-preservation, what is Jesus’ mission? Self-denial. Our culture operates in the same way. Culture tells us to save our lives at all costs, but Jesus calls us to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel. Not just confession but imitation, Scott will preach on that next week.
Two options when we reach the point where our agenda goes against God’s surrender, or walk away in pride. Rich young ruler(Jesus sad He was sad
Isaiah 55:8-9
耶和華說：「我的意念不是你們的意念， 你們的道路也不是我的道路。 天怎樣高過地， 我的道路也怎樣高過你們的道路， 我的意念也怎樣高過你們的意念。
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God’s people are those who have been called by God, and the Spirit has supernaturally revealed the glory of God in Christ Jesus, and who continue to be taught, corrected and shepherded by Jesus.
ENDING
ENDING
Let’s go back to that moment where Jesus praises Peter. Let’s end on a good note for Peter:) Matthew 16:18
我告訴你，你是彼得，我要在這磐石上建立我的教會，死亡的權勢不能勝過他。
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
“I will build my Church” this is a promise. He’s done it here in CityLight, He will keep doing it.
“Gates of Hell will not overpower it” prediction. Jesus prophecies and predicts(in perfection) that hell will not overpower, this powerful message of the Gospel! Come on!
It’s happened and it’s happening. This story shows us that all of these men who confessed Jesus as Lord, except for Judas, gave their lives for Jesus, and they were all men from different walks of life. Some were fishermen, tax collectors, doctor, nationalists, yet they laid it all down and proclaimed Jesus as Lord. This confession, Jesus is Lord, is a world-wide, multi cultural movement. Christianity, is not a western religion, an eastern religion, it is a global movement of people who confess Jesus as Lord.
If 100 Christians represented all of global Christianity, 67 would live in Asia, Africa, Latin America or Oceania, while 33 would live in Europe or Northern America. Most would be found in urban areas (65) as opposed to rural (35). 16 would speak Spanish as their mother tongue, 10 English, 8 Portuguese, 5 Russian and 3 Mandarin Chinese. Most (64) would be between the ages of 15–64, while 26 would be under 15.
IF you go to the heart of Africa, there you will find Jesus’ church, confessing Him as Lord, if you go to the tip of South America, there you will find Jesus’ church, confessing Him as Lord, if you go the Middle East, there you will find people risking their lives as they proclaim Jesus as Lord, and if you show up here at CityLight Community Church Linkou, look around, you will see people from all walks of life, different races, different languages, singing, proclaiming this confession that Jesus is Lord, because one day:
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
這些事以後，我觀看，見有一大群人，沒有人能數得過來，是從各邦國、各支派、各民族、各方言來的。他們都站在寶座和羊羔面前，身穿白袍，手裡拿著棕樹枝。他們大聲呼喊，說： 「願救恩歸給那坐在寶座上我們的 神，也歸給羊羔！」
CONCLUSION(SO WHAT)
CONCLUSION(SO WHAT)
What is this text calling us to do today?
Move from public opinion to personal confession in the Lord Jesus. He’s asking us to answer the question “Who Do You Say I Am?” If you have never confessed and given your heart to Christ, He is calling you and inviting you into that. What that means is that you ask for forgiveness for looking to everything else, even ourselves as Lord, and in faith coming to Christ, believing in His death for our sins and Resurrection, and confessing Jesus Are Lord.
This text reminds us that God’s people are who confess Jesus as Lord and who continue to be changed through His Divine Revelation.
How does that happen: If we want to be people of conviction, and not get caught up in the negativity and false narratives that surrounds us ,then we must be renewed by the reading of the Word of God. How much are you consuming things that lead your heart towards Christ? How much are we allowing the Spirit of God through the means of the Word of God, to change our hearts and minds?
Jesus is Lord also means spiritual transformation. In what areas of our lives are we trying to make our selves Lord, instead of Him? How are we trying to control our lives, and put ourselves in His place, instead of willing submit and worship Him as Lord?