1. The Cost
Notes
Transcript
Me:
Me:
Welcome to the launch of our brand new sermon series, Bottom Line. For many folks, as they prepare to pay their taxes, the pull everything together and look at the bottom line…what do we have to pay this year. If you own a business, you look at your profits and assets, then you take away your losses and then look at the Bottom Line…did I make money or did I lose money?
In this series, we are going to look at the Bottom Line when it comes to following Jesus. What is the profit/loss statement when it comes to being a disciple of Jesus? What does the balance sheet bottom line look like when it comes to being a Christian? I would really encourage you to lock in over these next few weeks as we continue with our Core52 Spiritual Growth Campaign.
How would you define a good life? I’ve heard this phrase often at funerals: She/he lived a good life. So evidently there is this pursuit of a good life…so what is it? Well, that’s kind of the problem. There are many different ways, paths or options when it comes to living a good life.
Every human being aspires to live a good life. No one sets out to live “the bad life.” Every person sets out with this hope of somehow, someway living a good life. So what is it? I think we all agree, “good” is a very subjective word. A good day to me, might not be a good day for you.
So, maybe it’s hard to determine what a good life really is. Maybe the better question you need to ask yourself is this: “Am I living a good life?”
This is a really important question because you only get one life! So this is the question before us this morning: What is the best way to live life and how can I get it?
God:
God:
Did you know that a lot of people questioned the way Jesus lived his life? His mom did. His brothers and sisters did. On one particular day, his disciples tried to correct Jesus because his plan for his life didn’t match with they thought he should live his life…true story!
If you have a Bible or device, or if you are using the YouVersion Bible app, I want you to find Matthew chapter 16. Jesus has taken his 12 disciples on a get away journey, away from the crowds, to focus and spend time teaching them. In this down time Jesus poses this question: Who do you say I am? Peter, one of the disciples steps forward and makes this statement: You are the Messiah (Christ), the Son of the living God.
In this turning point moment, Peter and the other disciples are acknowledging that Jesus is God’s anointed, the King, the Messiah, the one promised by God to come and rescue his people. Jesus even acknowledges that Peter is correct, stating that this isn’t from Peter, but from God. But here is where things get confusing.
When Peter says that Jesus is the Messiah, he along with the other disciples have a life for Jesus mapped out in their minds. Jesus life is going to be one of taking power away from the occupying Roman forces, liberating the Jews, and establishing a kingdom where Jesus is the ruler and the twelve disciples sit on his royal cabinet. For Peter and the disciples, Jesus life was going to look like a conquering King, with power, prestige, notoriety, wealth, security and comfort. Sounds like a good life…right?
The problem is that Jesus had a completely different way to live life as Messiah and he began to tell them what his path to kingship looked like.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Okay, this way to live life is completely different. Peter is so concerned about what Jesus is saying because it doesn’t match up with the way Peter thinks Jesus needs to live, that Peter actually pulls Jesus aside to correct him. Listen to how Jesus responds to Peter.
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Jesus isn’t saying that Peter is possessed by Satan. Instead, Peter is doing what Satan did when Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan. Both Peter and Satan are trying to derail the pathway to becoming Messiah. They both want Jesus to take the easy, popular way and gain power and influence. Jesus words are revealing: You don’t have the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.
This is a really revealing statement:
Life can be lived focused on the things people care about or focused on the things God cares about.
Jesus then makes one of the most controversial statements of his ministry. These next two verses are our Core52 verses of the week and they reveal what Jesus thinks the best way to live life is.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
If you find these words difficult or even offensive, you are not alone. Jesus’ listeners were disturbed by what Jesus said. Let’s take a look at why.
Deny Themselves - There’s a popular phrase we hear a lot any more, it goes like this: You do you. It means you should do whatever you think is best for yourself, march to your own beat…essentially you do you meant to do what right for you, whatever that may be. I get it, I do. But let me ask this question. Who has been an eyewitness to every mistake, failure you’ve made? You. We don’t ultimately know what’s best for us…but Jesus is making the claim that he does. If that doesn’t bother you, his next statement will.
Take Up Their Cross - Keep in mind, no one except Jesus knows that he is going to die on a cross in about a years time. However, everyone listening to Jesus more then likely had seen a crucifixion or knew about it and feared it. There is even a saying from the one of the Psalms that says: anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. Jesus’ listeners would have been horrified! The concept of the cross has been softened quite a bit for us because we wear it as jewelry or decorate with it. Jesus’ point is that we must take the things that are leading us away from God and crucify them. So, obviously we immediately think about our struggles with sin, but it can also include desires that move us away from Jesus. It can include toxic habits or unhealthy relationships. It can also include dreams or goals. Suzi has a family member who along with his wife, decided to leave successful careers and futures of comfort and go share Jesus in India. This couple are successful, intelligent leaders. Both could have found high paying jobs and lived a life of comfort and security…instead Jesus called. I remember overhearing someone in the family making this statement: “What are they doing going to India? They should just stay here.” Taking up the cross is hard, difficult, and uncomfortable…there’s no way around it. However, this is the exchange, you’re giving up what you think is good for something even better: Jesus.
Follow Me - This isn’t just, “like Jesus” or “believe Jesus in your heart” or be a fan of Jesus, this is literally living out a life that looks like Jesus. This is the journey, this is the life.
Jesus gives a bit more clarity about the benefit of following him. He says:
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
You can keep living the life you think is best…you can keep doing you, but ultimately that’s not life and you will lose it. But if you are willing to give up your definition of life for me…here’s the promise: You will find life.
So here’s the bottom line about what Jesus is saying: The very best way to live life comes through following Jesus. Keep in mind, it will cost you everything.
Now, what are you going to do with this information?
You:
You:
Here are some things to consider.
How would you define your relationship with Jesus? Fan or Follower?
What are the things in your life that need to go? - There is this immense fear of leaving behind the known, the comfortable, the popular for the unknown, the difficult and the road less traveled. Think of it this way, it’s only after a seed is buried in the ground that it springs to life. It’s only after a caterpillar entombs itself in a cocoon that it can fly. It’s only after a Christian carries a cross that she or he finds life.
What is Jesus calling you to do? Will you follow?
Are you ready to follow Jesus?
We:
We:
Let me tell you why this matters so much. The question we opened with was this: “What is a good life and how do I get it?” All of us are trying to pursue and achieve a good life…but are we pursuing the wrong things? Are we actually trying to do things that are actually toxic and harmful to our lives?
I recently heard about this article published Harper’s Magazine entitled, The Radioactive Boy Scout. It’s the true story about a man named David Hahn. He was a Boy Scout who, after working on his Atomic Energy merit badge became fascinated with the idea of creating a breeder reactor in his home. Hahn diligently amassed radioactive material by collecting small amounts from household products, such as americium from smoke detectors. He literally collected hundreds and hundreds of smoke detectors and put them in the storage shed out behind his house. His reactor was a bored-out block of lead. Hahn’s homemade neutron source did end up emitting dangerous levels of radiation. In a chance encounter, the police found out what he was doing, which triggered Federal Radiological Emergency Response involving the FBI and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. On June 26, 1995 the EPA designated Hahn’s mother’s property a Superfund hazardous materials cleanup site, dismantled the shed and its contents and buried them as a low-level radioactive waste in Utah. Hahn refused medical evaluation for radiation exposure. EPA scientists believe that Hahn’s life expectancy was greatly reduced because of the exposure.
Now, as crazy as this story sounds, most of us here would say: “Well I would never do anything like that!” Yet, the reality is, we do. Everyday we go about trying to live life by collecting these smoke detectors. We get into a web of lies trying to make our lives better. We find ourselves in these hurtful, empty relationships thinking that they are the best way to live life. We say things like, he makes me so happy, or she completes me…only to find yourself miserably months later. All we are doing is collecting radioactive smoke detectors. We find ourselves in hurtful habits and addictive behaviors because they make us feel good. And surely anything that feels good must be the best way to live life! We keep making money, growing our business, or brand....that has to be life! All we are doing is collecting radioactive smoke detectors, and at some point our lives become this toxic waste dump…left for someone else to clean up.
The bottom line is this:
The very best way to live life comes through following Jesus. Keep in mind, it will cost you everything.