Good News Week 27. The Crowd Or The Cross

I love what C.S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

Our desires never satisfy.

Our hunger is never filled.

Our thirst never quenched.

That is why Jesus promises to fill our hunger and give never ending water to those that seek after him.

It only in Jesus that we can find satisfaction.

It’s only in Jesus that our questions can be answered.

It’s only in Jesus that our fears can be calmed and our doubts assuaged.

Only in Jesus do we discover and realize the life we were created for.

And we were created for so much more than what we live for.

Created For Who?

Luke 9:18–20 CSB

While he was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.” “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

Who Do The Crowds Say I Am

Jesus had been praying.

Jesus had been communing with the Father.

And Jesus sees the crowds.

Jesus knows they have been following him.

And Jesus asks the disciples what the crowds things about him.

Some say your John the Baptizer, Some Elijah, or another of the ancient prophets come back to restore the Kingdom of Israel.

Who do the crowds say I am.

Those who don’t know Jesus personally have mischararctized him, misunderstood him, and misapplied him.

Critics often ask why Christianity is any better than any other religion in the world.

Of all the religions that exist, how can it be that only Christianity is true?

If God exists, why can't God use different religions?

Don't all paths lead to God?

But we know this, Religions contradict each other; therefore, they cannot all be true.

Mormonism teaches that there are many gods in existence, and that you can become a god.

Christianity teaches that there is only one God, and you cannot become a god.

Islam teaches that Jesus is not God in flesh--where Christianity does.

Islam says Jesus cannot be both God and not God at the same time.

Some religions teach that we reincarnate, while others do not.

Some teach that we are all gods, and others teach that we can become gods.

They cannot all be true.

If they cannot all be true, it cannot be true that all religions lead to God.

But only in Jesus do we find the truest of all understandings of the human condition and the truest revelation of God himself!

The truth about the human condition is this.

We are broken. We are messy. We are needy. We are sinful.

And no matter how good we are we are still selfish and conceited and ugly and broken.

The truth is that we need need something greater than ourselves to get us out of the mess we have made.

We need a greater doctor to mend out souls.

We need a greater designer to rebuild our brokenness.

We need a greater counselor to guide our hearts.

We need a greater King to rule our kingdoms.

We need a greater Savior than our selves.

We need Jesus!

Why do we need Jesus?

Because Jesus is the Christ!

Who Do You Say I AM

If the crowds say I’m a prophet, who do you say I am?

Luke 9:20 CSB

“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

God’s Messiah.

The Christ.

The Annointed One.

The Chosen One.

The Prophecied One.

Jesus is the King forever.

That what Messiah means.

He is the promised King.

The one who will restore all things and rule eternally.

Who is Jesus to you?

Is Jesus a mere prophet or philosopher or teacher?

Or is Jesus the Christ?

Because If Jesus is the Christ then following him is our only option.

And if Jesus is our only option, we must decide if we will follow the Crowd or the Christ.

And following the Christ mean following the way of the Cross.

The Crowd Or The Cross?

Luke 9:21–27 CSB

But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.” Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

What is the way of the Cross

Denial of Self

if we are going to follow the way of the cross we have to know that there it requires something from us.

Remember what we were made for?

We were created for Kingdom of Heaven living.

Created for spiritual fulfillment.

Created for more.

Created for life, and love, and healing, and purpose, and Divine image-bearing.

Created for more than the brokenness that we see and experience around us.

What we were created for can’t not be realized by living for less than what we were created to live for.

We no longer live to please our sinful desires.

Our sinful desires only temperarily satisfy.

And we weren’t created to be temporarily satisfied, we were created to be eternally satisfied.

And until you are satisfied in Jesus you will not understand how much unsatisfactory temporary satisfaction is.

That is why were live holy lives.

Because we know that there is eternal satisfaction ahead.

It’s why we say no to the works of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

It’s why we submit our anger, our pride, our sexuality, our thoughts, our bitterness, our hatred, our rights, to Jesus.

Because eternal satisfaction matters more than temporary pleasure.

Esau was the rightful heir of the his father’s inheritance.

But Esau traded away the inheritance that was to come for a bowl of soup.

He was hungry.

He was tired.

His brother Jacob offered him some soup that he had made if Esau would promise him the inheritance.

Esau agreed.

And Esau regretted it the rest of his life.

Don’t trade eternal promises for temporary pleasures.

The promise to come is so much better the pleasure outside of the promise.

Cross Bearing

The way of the Cross requires cross bearing.

There is only one kind of cross in mind - a cross of crucifixion.

The cross is death.

Death to our vengance.

Death to our idols.

Death to our winning.

Death to our selfishness.

Death to the systems of structure of the world.

Death to our sin.

Death to our rebellion to God.

Paul writes,

Galatians 5:22–25 CSB

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Romans 8:13–14 CSB

because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.

Put to death the things that will kill you.

Take up your cross.

Living for this life will kill you.

Dying to this life will give you life.

Kingdom Life.

Real Life in the Spirit.

We were created for more.

If we were created for Kingdom Life it requires Cross Bearing.

Follow Jesus

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

I think it means to live in light of the Life, Death, & Resurrection of Jesus.

If Jesus is THE CHRIST, then living in light of that matters.

Living In Light of Jesus Life

- his teachings, his miracles, his example, his love, his holiness, his justice, his mercy, his grace, his truth.

Living in Light of Jesus Life changes how we live.

It Means we follow the great commandment - LOVE GOD AND LOVE OTHERS.

Jesus life shows us who to live.

Are you following Jesus Life?

Living In Light of Jesus Death

- Living in light of Jesus death means that our sin and rebellion has been delt with.

We can live with peace.

We have been made righteous.

We have been forgiven and justified.

We have been rescued from the domain of darkness and traversed to the Kingdom of Christ.

Living in light of His death means this

Philippians 2:1–18 CSB

If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

Living in Light of Christs death mean living in humility, grace, mercy, and love.

Are you following Jesus death?

Living In Light of Jesus Resurrection

-living in the power of the same Spirit that Raise Jesus from the dead

It means living in hope, purpose, and mission, and power.

Romans 8:11–18 CSB

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Living in light of the resurrection means living supernaturally empowered to do the things God has called us to do.

It means understanding that the power that was working in Jesus lifeless body in now working in you.

In means living as ambassadors for the Kingdom of God and His Christ because Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father.

Following Jesus in Light of the Resurrection means that death, defeat, or the devil do not have the final say.

Following Jesus in Light of the Resurrectoipn mean that neither death, hell, or the grave are your masters.

Living in Light of the Resurrection means recognizing that nothing can separate you for the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:37–39 CSB

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Living in light of the resurrection changes everything.

Are you following Jesus resurrection?

The Promise of the Better Kingdom

Luke 9:24–27 CSB

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

This is the promise.

Kingdom Life.

I love this quote by CS. Lewis “Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth 'thrown in': aim at Earth and you will get neither.”

Living for this world only gives you the broken promises of this world.

You end up losing yourself.

Striving and fighting and searching for meaning, but never finding it.

But living for Jesus, his words, his life, his glory - That bring Eternal Kingdom happiness.

The Choice

That leaves each of us with a choice.

Do we live for this world or do we live for the Kingdom.

Each of us must decide.

Each of us must choose.

The Cross and the Kingdom or Self and the World.

Only one leads to what we were actually created for.

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