Sermon Tone Analysis

Are You Missing God's Best for Your Life?

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 16:24-28

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared September 10, 2022)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to Matthew 16.

This chapter began with Christ-rejecting Pharisees and Sadducees trying to trap Jesus by asking Him for a sign from heaven.

The Lord had already given them countless miraculous signs that proved He was the promised Messiah.

But no sign would have been enough for those ungodly religious elites.

*By this time, Jesus was in the 3rd year of His ministry.

J. Vernon McGee estimated the Lord was only six months away from the cross, and the Lord was viciously opposed by four evil groups: Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians.

Normally, the scribes and Pharisees hated the Sadducees and Herodians, and the feeling was mutual.

But these Christ rejecters had come together in their murderous hatred of Jesus.

They were obsessed with His destruction, and had been plotting His death for months.

*William Barclay explained that "the cross was coming closer, and Jesus needed some time alone with his disciples, so He withdrew to the region of Caesarea Philippi.

It was 25 miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee.

The people there were mainly non-Jewish, like the soldiers of the Roman Empire.

Locals worshiped in temples dedicated to the demonic gods of the Syrians and Greeks.

Caesarea Philippi also had a giant, white marble temple that was built to worship the Roman Emperor as God.

*John Phillips explained that there on the edge of the Gentile world, the Lord tarried with His disciples for about a week.

There Jesus began to speak plainly about His cross.

And for the first time, He spoke about His Church.

That's why Phillips called this chapter "the great divide" of Matthew’s Gospel.

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*As Jesus focused on His Church and His cross here, He was speaking to His 12 disciples.

But we must understand that the word "disciple" simply means "student," "learner," "follower," imitator."

And in that sense, Christians, we are also called to be the Lord's disciples.

*Thank God, we are citizens of Heaven, children of God, friends of God, and much, much more.

But we are all called to be followers of Jesus Christ.

And God wants us to be the best followers we can possibly be.

God wants us to have the best lives we can possibly have.

Please think about these truths as we read Matthew 16:24-28.

MESSAGE:

*Have you ever been watching something on TV? -- Maybe it was a movie or a show you really wanted to see.

Maybe it was the big game, and at just the crucial moment the power went out on you.

Or maybe some storm clouds got too thick, and blocked the satellite signal.

I know that's happened to most of us, and we don’t like missing out on something we wanted.

*But we might be missing out on something infinitely more important.

We might be missing out on God's best for our lives, and not even know it.

Let me ask you 5 questions that can help us find God's best for our lives.

1. THE FIRST QUESTION IS: HAVE I MEASURED THE TREASURE OF MY LIFE?

*In vs. 24-26, Jesus wants us to know how valuable our lives truly are:

24.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

25.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

26.

For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

*Your life, your soul is worth more than all the riches of the world.

Your soul is worth more than every diamond and every drop of oil in the world.

Your soul is priceless.

There is nothing worth more.

*Please think of the incredible value that God has put on your life.

Nobody in their right mind would trade a finger for a thousand dollars.

Would you trade your arm for 100,000 dollars?

Would you trade your tongue for a million?

Of course not.

But the real you who lives inside your body is worth infinitely more.

Jesus tells us that we are priceless.

And we are priceless, because we are God's creation.

*Zig Ziglar put it in perspective when he asked us to think about the priceless masterpieces painted by DaVinci or Michelangelo.

And Zig said, "I am roughly familiar with the price of the canvass and the paints.

In and of themselves, they are not worth much at all.

No -- The value of the painting comes from the touch of the Master's Hand." (2)

*And you are priceless, because you were created by the greatest Master of all.

On top of that, you are priceless because of the high price Jesus paid on the cross for our souls.

That's why 1 Peter 1:18-19 tells believers, "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

*Think about the price that Jesus paid on the cross for you, and you will see how much God values your life.

That's how much He loves us!

And God wants us to have the best lives we can possibly have, so ask yourself: "Have I measured the treasure of my life?"

2. THE SECOND QUESTION IS: HAVE I DETERMINED THE DESTINY OF MY LIFE?

*Jesus asked in vs. 26, "What is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

Sadly, it is possible to lose your soul, and most people will lose their souls.

That's because the just punishment for our sins is eternal separation from God in a terrible place called hell.

*We don't like to think about hell.

We don't like to think about the wrath of God, but it is a very real thing.

Nave's Topical Bible has over 80 references about the anger of God.

One of those is Romans 2:5, where Paul said this to hard-hearted, Christ-rejecting people: "In accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

*On the other hand, Paul was speaking to other Christians in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

And he talked about how they "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

*The wrath of God is coming on this wicked world, so "what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

*David Holwick once said, "I am convinced that we will exist after death.

The question is: 'Where will we spend eternity?'

For though there is a Heaven, which the Bible abundantly makes clear.

it makes equally plain the truth that everyone is not going to Heaven.

*Listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14: 'Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.'

*How do we go to heaven?

In John 14:5, Thomas said, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?' Then in John 14:6 Jesus answered by saying, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except by me.'

*The way to Heaven is as narrow as the cross.

Only those who are willing to humble themselves, acknowledge their sin, and place their trust in Jesus Christ will ever enter the gates of Heaven.

*There are two personal truths I know about myself.

The first is: I ought to go to hell because that is where I belong.

I stand guilty before God and deserve His displeasure.

But the second truth, which I know equally, is: I am going to Heaven because Jesus took my punishment on the cross for me!

I have no other hope but the Risen Savior's free gift of eternal life."

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*Everybody is not going to Heaven.

What about you?

Have you admitted your sin and trusted in Jesus Christ for your salvation?

Have you received Him as your Lord and Savior?

Have you called on the Lord to save you?