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Service Notes
Summit this week
Ordination for Justus on Thursday night
Many great opportunities in 2022.
Thankful for a good, hard look at discipleship as we end a year and start a new one.
Premise: Following Christ requires self-denial and daily taking up your cross.
Luke 9:18–27 (KJV 1900)
18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
23 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.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
Sermon Introduction
Video | False understanding of Jesus
Jesus is placed on a table with other gods in America.
Especially this time of year.
United under this same confession
Peter’s answer was representative of the group.
Peter was not the first pope.
He had a mother-in-law.
But he does often answer for the group.
Not just a pun
Consider the serious issues being discussed in this and the following pericope: God, man, heaven, hell, spiritual war, death, resurrection, Satan.
We need to recognize the doctrine of Peter that Jesus praised is reality of who Jesus is?
In one moment Christ has renamed Simon as Petros; in the next moment Christ has renamed Simon as Satana, the occupant of the pit.
In one moment Simon Peter is a powerful example of a disciples and in the next moment Peter is an example of a powerless failure.
Jesus is the rock upon which we must build our lives.
(quoting from Psalm 118:22)
The critical decision of life depends on one’s relation to the rock
Peter was making the greatest of all confessions
We often need a confrontation with our place in this world.
Jesus reminds the disciples of the reality of following Him.
Mark 10:35–38 (KJV 1900)
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?
and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
In many ways the world could not be any different then it was in the days of Christ.
In other ways mankind could not be anymore the same.
We need this same confrontation today.
In that book, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, Robert Schuller writes – quote – “It is precisely at this point that classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be God-centered and not man-centered.”
End quote.
He further writes, “If we follow God’s plan as faithfully as we can, we will feel good about ourselves.”
That's the gospel of today.
It's the feel-good gospel: feel good about yourself.”
Then he goes on to say – quote – “God needs you and me to help create a society of self-esteeming people.”
Pardon me if I don't join.
I can't think of a group I’d less like to associate with.
“Once a person believes he’s an unworthy sinner, it is doubtful if he can really honestly accept the saving grace God offers in Christ.”
End quote.
Self-Esteem Club in School.
Christian narcissism, self-love is characteristic of false teachers
Abandoning your life to the honor of Christ has been replaced by Christ honoring you.
Let it not be said among us.
The confession that unites us today is that Jesus is the Christ.
We all are called to follow Him.
Sujaya James first came to church and asked Jeff a question about following Jesus.
They were studying the book of John.
I learned that Sujaya was Dr. Sujuya and had written his doctoral dissertation on Salvation and Discipleship Continuum in Johannine Literature: Toward an Evaluation of the Faith Alone Doctrine.
- Basically as a believer you will follow Jesus.
If you do not.
You are not His.
Who is still around when the party is over?
Thousands of people had followed Him during His life here but only 120 people that are actually doing what He told them to do, committed life-long learners and followers.
This is the picture of a disciple that we find in the New Testament.
“In every Christian’s heart there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross; if he refuses the cross, he remains on the throne.
Perhaps this is at the bottom of the backsliding and worldliness among gospel believers today.
We want to be saved, but we insist that Christ do all the dying.
No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying.
We remain king within the little kingdom of Man’s soul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a Caesar; but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility” (A.W. Tozer).
Reality of following Christ
Why would he not want them to know He was the messiah.
The common understanding of the Messiah was wrong.
It was not the time for His death.
A cross awaited Jesus.
What should we think of and feel when we consider the life of cross bearing?
Opposition: A cross was used to execute criminals who had the state of Rome in opposition to them.
Shame: This execution was reserved for the worst criminals, and the victim was usually naked on a cross for hours.
Suffering: This kind of execution was designed to prolong excruciating pain.
Death: The aim of crucifixion was death, not torture followed by release.
A cross awaits us.
Gospel enabled self-denial
Matthew Henry once said that “self denial is the first lesson in Christ's school.”
Message for all believers.
This is more than self-discipline that is inspirational even among unbelievers.
Man who won Iron Man strained his cottage cheese.
/ Quality is not an act it is a habit.
We are looking at the self-denial only possible because we have been freed by the Gospel
Luke 9:23 (KJV 1900)
23 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.
We are to deny self.
What does that mean?
It means to renounce anything that challenges or trumps our allegiance to the kingdom of God
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