The Original Children’s Sermon
Matthew 18:1-6
February 19, 2012

This morning we shift gears just a little bit
And get to this very important and wonderful 18th chapter of Matthew.

I call it “The Original Children’s Sermon”,
But don’t get the idea that this is some sort of over-simplified,
Dumbed-down type of sermon.

This was a sermon from Jesus
On how His children were to relate to one another.

You will remember that Jesus first introduced
The concept of His church back in chapter 16.

Matthew 16:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

And if you will remember the word “church” translates EKLESIA which literally means “the called out ones” it is often translated “the assembly”.

That means as part of the church
We have to realize is that we are all in this thing together.

None of us is individually the body of Christ, but corporately we are.

1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

And the result is that we all work together.
In short, our relationship with one another matters.

You may remember the infamous statement of Cain after he slew his brother Abel.
Genesis 4:9 “Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Well, the unequivocal answer to that question in Scripture is
“Yes, you are.”

We are both accountable to each other and responsible for each other.

And for this whole “church” idea that Christ introduced to work correctly
Then it is vitally important that we learn how
We are called to relate our brothers and sisters in Christ.

And a very important part in learning that lesson
Is found in studying the 18th chapter of Matthew.

And yet it is a tragedy that this chapter is widely ignored today.

For it is here that Jesus teaches us of our responsibility to our brethren.
• Responsibility to Receive our brothers…
• Responsibility to Protect our brothers…
• Responsibility to Restore our brothers…
• Responsibility to Forgive our brothers…

We really need to spend some time here
And learn to rescue this often forgotten chapter.

First let me show you how it all starts.
(1) “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that at this point
The disciples have failed to learn anything.

All Jesus has been talking about is the necessity of denying self,
And yet all the disciples can talk about is who gets the most glory.

Mark’s gospel helps us fill in the timeline especially well.
Mark 9:33-37 “They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

So Mark shows us that straight off of the encounter with the demon-possessed man that the disciples could not deliver,
Jesus and His disciples headed for Capernaum.

(And we already know this for last week we saw Jesus there dealing with the issue of paying taxes)

What Matthew didn’t tell us about
Was the conversation that took place on the way.
They wanted to know who was the greatest.

I feel certain that this little debate was at least in part a result of Peter, James, and John getting to accompany Jesus up the mountain while the other 9 were not permitted.

One can only imagine the feelings of arrogance and conversely jealousy
That would be spreading throughout the group.

So instead of focusing on denying self,
They are focusing on exalting self and seeing who is the greatest.

Luke’s gospel actually calls their conversation an argument.
And so obviously we have here
The very opposite attitude that Jesus has been teaching.

These guys weren’t concerned about each other,
They were concerned about themselves.

And it is this argument that motivates this great sermon from Jesus.

We are going to talk about these first verses this morning, but it is vitally important that you first see the sermon in its entirety so you get the gist.

They ask who is the greatest and it opens the door
For Jesus to reveal something amazing.
The actual greatest is your brother.
(Not you)

And throughout this chapter Jesus reveals,
Not the greatness of an individual,
But rather our responsibility to our brother.

You must:
• Receive your brother (5)
• Protect your brother (6-7)
• Guide your brother (8-9)
• Honor your brother (10-11)
• Search for your brother (12-14)
• Restore your brother (15-20)
• Forgive your brother (21-35)

And when you take this chapter in its entirety
It really reads like it is my brother who is important to Christ.

And Christ wants me to go out of my way to make sure
That my brother has the life Christ intended.

And the idea then is clear.
If you want to know who the greatest is, it is your brother.

And again we are reminded that the church is not about me.
I am to focus on my brother.

And while this concept is overlooked today,
It was central to the message of the apostles to the church.

Philippians 2:1-4 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Romans 15:1-2 “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.”

Galatians 6:1-2 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

The writer of Hebrews chimes in on this as well.

Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

Not only that but we also have 1 Corinthians 5, 2 Thessalonians 3, and 1 Timothy 2 all calling for the church discipline that Christ outlines in this chapter.

All of those passages tend to reinforce the idea
That I am second, but my brother is first.
And that is to be the dominant attitude of the church.

And it is obvious the disciples did not have that attitude.
So let’s see how Jesus address it.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Let’s see how Jesus answered.
(2) “And He called a child to Himself and set him before them.”

Now please understand what He is doing.
Jesus chooses the most insignificant person in the room
As an example to the disciples.

If you were to ask the disciples:
Who in this room is the weakest?
Who in this room knows the least?
Who in this room is least important to the mission?

They all would have chosen the child.
And yet that is why Jesus chose him as well.

He chose the child because the child was the lowest,
And Jesus uses that to make a point.

#1 CHILDREN ARE TO BE EMULATED
Matthew 18:2-4
After calling the child Scripture says that Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Throughout Scripture there are two things
That God most likes to compare His people to.
1) Sheep
2) Children

We know of the children of Israel, the children of God, the children of the kingdom, etc.

And He compares us to children
For much the same reason that He compares us to sheep.

It is a living analogy of
• Our weakness compared to His strength,
• Our ignorance compared to His wisdom,
• Our depravity compared to His righteousness.

He uses children as an analogy on purpose.

In fact He says, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Now there is a strange statement.

Jesus said the disciples needed to be “converted”.
The word there literally means “to turn around”

Acts 3:19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;”

And Jesus used that word here.
You need to turn around.

Now we understand using that word in regard
To someone living in blatant immorality or detestable sin.
But Jesus says that we need to be “converted and become like children.”

Typically we hear that text read and people say something like:
Children are innocent so we need to be innocent…
Children are trusting so we need to be trusting…
Children are loving so we need to be loving…

But those definitions are concocted from our own minds, not the text,
For one could also say:
Children are dirty so we need to be dirty…
Children are short so we need to be short…
Children like sugar so we need to like sugar…
The point is that Jesus makes it abundantly clear
What He means by being like a child.

Look at verse 4, “Whoever then humbles himself as this child…”

Now again, that DOESN’T mean that
Children are humble so we need to be humble.
(Some children are anything but humble, some are down right selfish and arrogant.)

What He means is that in the world’s eyes children hold a low place.
They are insignificant.
No one wants to hear their opinions…
No one counts on their ability…
No one is looking to them for answers…

They do not hold positions of importance they are children.
They hold a very humble and lowly position.

And Jesus is saying that in order to “enter the kingdom of heaven”
We must quit seeking high positions and start seeking the lowly ones.

Presently the disciples were walking the path of pride,
Arrogance, ambition, and self-love.

Jesus said, you are walking the wrong direction.
You can’t even enter the kingdom like that, let alone be the greatest in it.

If you want to enter the kingdom you had better quit
Being the most important and instead become the least important.

And this is not new information
Matthew 5:3-12 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

The beatitudes don’t promote virtues that the world holds in high esteem.
The beatitudes promote the virtues that Christ holds in high esteem.

And yet Jesus called that attitude blessed, why?
Because that is the type of attitude that will be saved.

This question the disciples asked was a total offence to Christ.
It reeked of arrogance and self-worth and pride.

And Jesus is here putting a stop to it.

If you even want to be in the kingdom (let alone the greatest)
Then you must become “like children”

And then come to Me in humility.
But you sure don’t come in arrogance.

For “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

The illustration is often given but so effective.
Luke 18:9-14 “And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
That illustration speaks for itself.

To walk to God with heads held high is an insult to His holiness.
Forget being the greatest, it will be a miracle if you even get in.
You must become nothing, insignificant, weak, and humble.

(4) “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Now I hope you catch the genius of the statement.

WHO IS THE GREATEST?
The one who thinks he is the least.

So obviously anyone who would argue
In order to have his own greatness recognized
Is missing the point altogether.

We need to emulate children.
#2 CHILDREN ARE TO BE VALUED
Matthew 18:5
Now, I certainly agree and believe that Jesus
Does in fact love literal children.

Certainly their innocence and simple faith are precious to Him.
There is no denying He loves children.

But if you only see this statement as referring to children
Then you are missing the point of the sermon.
When He talks about receiving children He is not advocating
That everyone who loves little kids loves Jesus.

The “child” here is an example of the lowly.
That is why Jesus used a child in His original example.

And what Jesus is saying is not only should you become low,
But you need receive the lowly as more important than yourself.

WHY?
Because the way you receive them is the way you receive Me.

“And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;”

Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

It is that same point Jesus is making here.

You have to learn to value what I value and to love what I love.
Jesus loves a humble heart.
Jesus loves a lowly spirit.
Jesus loves the meek and hungry.

And yet the disciples had already declared that as valueless.
It is so easy to assign value to people when they enter the church doors.

We are notorious for valuing successful businessmen, or the wealthy,
Or those who look and dress well, or who speak well as the most important.
And it is easy for us to love them.

And yet Jesus says to love the least.
And how you treat them is evident of how you treat Me.

WHY?
Because they are His.

Do you think you can reject my family and honor Me at the same time?

LET ME ASK YOU: WHO DETERMINES THE VALUE OF AN OBJECT?

You could say, the retailer, they are the ones who set the price.
But price and value are two different things.
The price is set by the retailer,
But the value is set by the one who purchases it.
For in reality things are only truly worth what someone will pay for them.

And Christ says you had better quit looking at people
Through their value to you
And start looking at people through their value to Me.

Quit focusing on what you think is the best
And learn to focus on what I think is the best.

And anyone who does not value and receive those who are humbled does not value and receive Christ.

Children are to be emulated, children are to be Valued
#3 CHILDREN ARE TO BE PROTECTED
Matthew 18:6

Now here is the flipside of the equation.

“but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Now we are talking about angering Christ.

Christ values those poor humble people so much that if you do anything to cause them to “stumble” or fall away from Him.
You would be better off to be tied to the ocean floor than to do that.

DO YOU GET THE PICTURE?
They are valuable to Him.

And you must see them as more valuable even than yourself.

All this talk about how great you are,
As though everyone else ought to focus on how to keep you happy.

You are not the greatest, you are the least,
And you had better make sure you receive everyone else better.

And you had better make sure
That you don’t let your arrogance make one of them stumble.
Because if you do, you are in great danger!

Isn’t that just the opposite of how we often view ourselves?

We tend to think that I am so important to Jesus
And you had better not make me mad or cause me pain or upset me
Because Jesus will get you.

And yet Jesus is saying don’t think of yourself in those terms
Think of your brother in those terms.

You see, you are your brother’s keeper.
The focus is not on you, it is on him.

And this is how we act in the church.
• Emulate the poor and the lowly.
• Value the poor and the lowly.
• Protect the poor and the lowly.

Because Christ died for them and they are important to Him.
THIS IS THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH.
I am the least important person here,
And I come, not to see how good I can be treated,
But I come to serve you,
Because you are so important to Christ.
But if I come with an attitude of thinking I am the greatest.
Not only am I not the greatest, but I’m not even in the kingdom.

 

So humble yourself before God and humble yourself before men
And start loving and receiving and serving and protecting
Those who are important to Christ.

Matthew 18:1-4 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Denying Self
Matthew 17:24-27
February 12, 2012

Back in chapter 16 Jesus introduced to the disciples
What most certainly appeared to them to be radical thinking.
He told them He had to suffer and die.

You will remember that Peter especially did not like that
And so Jesus revealed a radical truth to him as well.

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

And since that time, Jesus has been systematically
Trying to drive those truths into the disciple’s heads.

He not only told them He would die,
But after He was transfigured on the mountain He reinforced it again.

On the way down saying:
Matthew 17:12 “but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”

And then after casting a demon out a boy at the bottom of the mountain
And dealing with that perverse generation, He reminded them again.

Matthew 17:22-23 “And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.”

It is clear that Matthew is making sure you and I get the point.

Every incident he chooses is to reiterate the point
That Christ is about to suffer and if we are going to follow Him
Then we must choose to deny self and embrace hardship as well.

That is not an easy concept,
But it does however remain a necessary one to learn.

And this morning Matthew is still revealing
How Jesus continued to teach this truth to His disciples.

And what better opportunity to teach a person to deny self than with the age-old custom of paying taxes?

I don’t know anyone who likes to pay taxes.
If you just listen to the debates and political adds,
Not just this year, but every election year it is always about the same thing: TAXES

• The rich pay too little…
• The poor pay too much…
• Every politician claims to have a record of cutting taxes…
• Every politician promises to cut taxes even more…
And yet taxes continue to rise.

Now in our day taxes can be pretty tough to avoid.
• They charge it when you purchase goods (sales tax)
• They take it out of your pay check (income tax)
• What you are responsible for paying they watch you like a hawk.

But in Jesus’ day taxes were definitely more about the honor system.
Oh sure, collectors were sent out as you see here, but it is not like they were hard to avoid, nor was there any electronic system of check-up.

And so you had to choose to pay your taxes.

And that is what Jesus and Peter are up against today.
And Jesus uses this opportunity to further reinforce into Peter’s mind
That those who follow Him must deny their own selfish interests.

You can’t live for you and live for Jesus at the same time.

And that isn’t just true for the day you die, it is true every day.

You and I don’t become martyrs for Christ
Only on the day someone puts a gun to our head.
The decision to die to self and live for Christ is a daily decision.

That is why in Luke’s gospel it is recorded like this:
Luke 9:23 “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

That is why Paul said in Romans:
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

And Jesus is teaching this to Peter.
You must deny yourself, not just today, not just tomorrow,
But every moment of every day.

If you let selfishness slip in, you will not follow Jesus.

That being said, let’s look at this living illustration to Peter
And have this truth better solidified in our minds.

3 things
#1 THE EXAMINATION
Matthew 17:24-25a

Now it is pretty clear what is going on here.
• They are back in Peter’s home-town.
• The people there knew him.
• And it is obvious that Jesus is staying in Peter’s house with him.

And while they are there, “those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?”

Now first let me explain “the two-drachma tax”

The “drachma” was a Roman currency.
But it was a tax built off of a Jewish Law.

Exodus 30:11-16 “The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. “This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the LORD. “Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the LORD. “The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves. “You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.”

Now that is what you call a flat-tax.
Every man over the age of 20 had to pay the same amount.
A half of a shekel.

Well, now in Rome the tax still existed for the temple.
Only in Roman currency a half of a shekel equaled 2 drachma.

(This by the way was the equivalent of 2 days wages.)

And so these were not Roman tax collectors like Matthew used to be,
These are Jewish collectors coming around
To collect the temple tax from their Jewish brothers.

But notice how they ask Peter about Jesus.
“Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?”
Now that is a strange way to ask isn’t it?

Why not knock on the door and say, “Hey guys its tax time.”

But it is apparent that this man is making an insinuation
That Jesus is above paying taxes.

They all knew in Capernaum that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah
And so this man is digging at Peter and at Jesus.

(I told you last week it is a perverted world)
Basically what the tax collector is saying is this, “So I guess your Messiah thinks He doesn’t have to pay taxes, huh?”

“Do your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?”

But Peter responds, “He said, “Yes.”

Now Peter isn’t answering for Jesus, it is just that
Undoubtedly Peter has seen Jesus pay that tax before.

He isn’t necessarily defending Jesus to the tax man,
He just knows that Jesus does in fact pay his taxes.

And that is the end of the conversation.
But it is obvious that Peter and Jesus
Are under the microscope from the Jewish religious community
He is being examined.

Before we go on know that the world is continually examining you too.

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

The world is watching, and often times rooting for you to fail.
Think about Tim Tebow.

Trust me there are reporters who know that a ticket to fame
Is to be the first to get the picture of Tebow losing his temper,
Or Tebow holding a beer, or Tebow coming out of a strip club.

You have to know that.
The world will never be able to discredit the message of Jesus,
So they settle for continuously trying to discredit His messengers.

Well here they are examining Jesus just like that.

The Examination
#2 THE EXPLANATION
Matthew 17:25b-26

I really like how verse 25 reads.
“And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first…”

Jesus knew exactly what was on Peter’s mind.
That tax collector had just raised a very interesting question to Peter.

If Jesus really is the Messiah, why should He pay taxes?
And it is obvious that Peter is about to ask Jesus about it.

But Jesus beats him to the punch and “spoke to him first”

“What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?”

There are some unique literary clues here in this verse.

The first is that Jesus called Peter “Simon”, not Peter.
Remember Simon was his name Jesus is the one that changed it to Peter.

But anytime you find Peter start thinking like the old Peter
And leaning towards the worldly side of things, Jesus calls him Simon.

The other clue is that Jesus said, “What do you think..?”

Jesus is here looking for the natural, earthy, self-centered answer.

“do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?”

“custom” are taxes on goods.
“poll-tax” is a tax on people.

But Jesus wants to know if kings tax their own sons.
Obviously not.

WHY?
Well suppose I went home today and decided that from now on I am charging $10 a meal for eating at my table, no exceptions.

For one Gary wouldn’t come over, but for two,
I would have to loan $10 to everyone of my kids.

To tax my kids is in reality to tax myself.

Taxes aren’t for the sons, only for strangers.

Which is what Peter said.
And Jesus responded, “Then the sons are exempt.”

Now understand that this is exactly what Peter had in mind.

If You are the Son of God, then You shouldn’t
Have to pay the tax in Your own Father’s temple.

(And Peter did believe Jesus to be the Son of God)
Matthew 16:16 “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And in Peter’s mind Jesus should not have to pay, and obviously Peter would have liked for the close friends of Jesus to get an exemption too.
But you see at this point all Jesus has done is reinforce Peter’s logic.
He shouldn’t have to pay the tax.

If you want to talk about “rights”,
If you want to talk about “fair”,
If you want to talk about “justice”
Then Jesus shouldn’t have to pay.

And in any given day we come across situations just like that.
“I shouldn’t have to do that…”
“That’s not fair…”
“I have the right to do this…”
“I have the right not to do this…”

And that is true.
You do, just as Jesus did.
He had the right not to pay that tax, for His Father owned the temple.

The Examination The Explanation
#3 THE EXCEPTION
Matthew 17:27

Now there is a big word, “However”

That means that humanly speaking Jesus has every right not to pay
But He is about to go against the grain.

“so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”

So Jesus is going to supernaturally provide for His and Peter’s tax.

BUT DID YOU NOTICE WHY HE DID IT?
“so that we do not offend them”

WHY DID JESUS COME TO THIS EARTH?
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Paul said it like this:
1 Timothy 1:15 “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

So Jesus came to save sinners.
Jesus did not come to save money.

And that means if it comes down to saving sinners or saving money, which do you think Jesus will choose?

See, it isn’t that Jesus delighted in paying taxes.
It is obvious that He did not have enough money to pay the tax.
He had to consult a fish for it.

But fighting over taxes was not a hill on which to die.

You see He knew that if He refused to pay that tax,
Then the next time they talked it would not be about sin and forgiveness
It would be about why He doesn’t pay taxes.

And that is not what He wanted to talk about.

You see friend a Christian should be honest, steadfast, bold, convicted, passionate, immovable, perseverant, but not offensive.

If all you and I ever live for are our rights
Then we will never follow Jesus.

In order to follow Him you must “deny yourself”

Now, let me give you a couple more examples of this.

TURN TO: GALATIANS

READ 1:6-9
It is obvious that Paul is fired up with the Galatians. He is angry.

Galatians 4:19-20 “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you — but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”

He is upset, and it is obvious.

WHY?
READ 3:1-3

He is angry because they are trying to earn what Christ desires to give.
He even calls them foolish and says they have been “hood-winked”.

WHAT IS GOING ON?
READ 5:2-6

So it is all about circumcision.
Someone is telling them to get circumcised
And because they are contemplating, Paul is livid.

Now, not only that, but this problem
Actually led to an entire church council.

TURN TO: ACTS 15

READ: Vs. 1-2

Now verses 3-29 relate how the church actually debated the issue
And finally decided that the Gentiles did not have to be circumcised.

Look at the letter: READ vs. 28-29

So Paul won, the church was in unity, NO CIRCUMCISION!

NOW TURN TO ACTS 16

READ Vs. 1-5

Are you joking me?

Why would Paul do that after fighting so passionately against it?
Vs. 3, “because of the Jews who were in those parts”

So was Paul afraid?
No way, you will never find that.

But Paul wanted to tell men about Christ,
Not spend all his time arguing about circumcision.

That was a freedom he was willing to surrender if it meant saving men.

TURN TO 1 CORINTHIANS 9

READ Vs. 1-12

Paul gives reason after reason as to why he has the right to get paid for his ministry and then says but he doesn’t take it.

WHY? “so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.”

READ Vs. 19-23

And if we wanted we could go on about eating food sacrificed to idols and Paul saying, “Therefore if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again…”

Or we could talk about worshiping on the true Sabbath instead of the Lord’s Day in which Paul would again tell us not to give an offense.

And the point is still the same,
The Christian is called to deny self in order to follow Christ.

There is something that the American Church
Desperately needs to understand.
THERE IS NO BILL OF RIGHTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Sometimes thanks to our American Dream and our American culture
We tend to focus solely on our rights.

And we’ve even seen Christians (to the grief of the Holy Spirit)
• Pitching fits
• Having lawsuits
• Getting hateful
• Gossiping and slandering
• And doing who else knows what.

AND WHY?
• Because their order at Dixie Dog was messed up…
• Because their kid didn’t play enough in the basketball game…
• Because the referee missed a foul…
• Because they had to wait in line too long at Wal-Mart…

Now granted, those are terrible things to have to endure,
But for the sake of Christ would you please just endure it?

When we signed up to follow Christ we relinquished all rights.

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Galatians 6:14 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

We don’t have any rights.
We let them go.

Instead I will die to self and absorb the cost
If at the end of the day, it helps me do what I’m really here for,
And that is tell people about Christ.

Now friends, if Jesus can pay the tax in His own temple, (and He didn’t even agree with what they were doing in that temple – He is about to clear it) Don’t you think we can at least suck it up and quit focusing on our rights?

Our goal is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
Don’t kill your witness before you even get a chance to give it.

To the Corinthians Paul said:
1 Corinthians 6:7 “Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?”
If you go to Dixie Dog and get sideways because they mess up your order, you may win the fight and get your food right, but you already lost.

You’ll never be able to share Christ with the cook.

If you go to the ballgame and yell at the referee (and I’m guilty) then we already lost,

We’ll never be able to share Christ with the ref.

And what matters more, getting the foul called or getting his soul saved?

And if you fight and quarrel and pitch a fit over making sure you get every ounce of financial compensation you deserve,

Then you already lost, because you traded your witness for a few dollars.

That is what Jesus said to Peter.
“However, so that we do not offend them…”

“Peter, we aren’t here to save money, we are here to save men.
Let the money go, in fact I’ll provide it,
You just make sure you stay on focus.”

Our life is about denying self and carrying the cross,
Don’t lose sight of the goal.

Matthew 16:24-26 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Ministering in a Perverted World
Matthew 17:14-23
February 5, 2012

We have recently been talking about the reality that
The call to follow Christ is in fact a call to suffer.

The reason we have been talking about it is not because we delight in the subject, but because that is what Jesus has been talking about.

He is trying to prepare His disciples for the inevitable fact
That following Him won’t be easy.

And this morning we learn yet again why suffering is inevitable,
And that is because we minister IN A PERVERTED WORLD.

Jesus has already taught that it is a world filled with wolves
Among which we are merely sheep.

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

It is a world that continually reverses light and darkness
And good and evil.

A world that twists and maligns what is good and pure and decent
And supplants it with what is gross and detestable and defiled.

Casting Crowns put it in their song, “They save the trees and kill the children.”
• We live in a world that fights to go green and save the environment, but fights equally strong to keep abortions running smoothly and frequently.
• We live in a world that attacks the family and promotes homosexuality.
• We live in a world that defies the true creator and promotes a pathetic myth called evolution.

Any amount of common sense and perspective will tell you
That our world continually turns things upside down.

It is perverted, it is twisted.
It seeks the wrong things, it loves the wrong things,
It promotes the wrong things.

And this is seen throughout the Scriptures.

When Paul ministered he encountered obstacles from such men, remember Elymas the magician?
Acts 13:8-10 “But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?”
Such confrontations prompted Paul to ask for prayer in those regards.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.”

The world is a backward and perverse system.

Certainly we are to stand against such a system:
Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”

But we are also called as Christians
To save men out of that perverse system.

Acts 2:40 “And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”

And so it is clear that we are to stand against the backward
And perverse ways of the world and seek to save men out of it.

The tragedy is, however, that at times just the opposite happens.
And instead of us rescuing men from a perverse world,
The world actually infiltrates God’s church.

Paul spoke of them:
Titus 3:10-11 “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.”

He even warned the Ephesian elders that such perversity
Could even reach them as shepherds of the flock.

Acts 20:29-30 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

The point is that perversion is everywhere,
And at times can even be present in the church.

But make no mistake about it, we minister in a backward world.
• We speak truth in a world that loves falsehood.
• We shine light in a world that loves darkness.
• We demand holiness in a world that loves sin.

And that means that the very core of things we do
Sets us in direct opposition to the world.

Now that shouldn’t be shocking, in fact that is what Jesus has been trying to tell us for the last few weeks.

He would be hated… He would suffer… He would be killed…
He has told us that twice now.
First in Caesarea Philippi “began to show His disciples that He must…”
Next coming down from the mountain “So also the Son of Man…”

But it is clear this morning that the disciples
Still hadn’t full grasped that.
We find them in the midst of a crowd trying to work a miracle.

What they don’t understand is that
• Some in the crowd don’t want the miracle,
• And those that do only want the miracle and not salvation.

It is a perverted world.
And Jesus will use this to remind the disciples of
Exactly what we are up against,
And how we are to minister in the midst of it.
.
So let’s look at what happens.

4 things
#1 A TWISTED REQUEST
Matthew 17:14-16

Now I know when we read what Matthew’s gospel says
It can easily be taken as a heart-felt plea from a concerned father.

“a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him”

That looks an awful lot like humility.

“saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.”

And that sounds like genuine submission as he calls Jesus “Lord”
And again humility as he asks for “mercy”

He even reveals the problem with his son.
“he is a lunatic”

The Greek word here (like the English word) has direct ties to the moon, where we get our word for lunar.
It means “moon-struck”

Luke’s gospel (because he was a doctor) gets even more descriptive.

Luke 9:38-39 “And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves.”
Matthew calls him a lunatic, Luke gets more specific, speaking of seizures, convulsions, foaming at the mouth, and screaming.
(difference between a tax collector and a doctor)

According to Luke this man even knew
It was a demon that caused these seizures.

And this demon often caused the boy to be burned or nearly drowned.

Furthermore that father seemed hopeless
Since even Jesus’ disciples could not help.

(16) “I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.”

And this man seems really sincere, and heart-broken,
And humble and submissive.

And where it not for the severe rebuke he gets from Jesus in a moment, we would think nothing of it.

But that is not what is going on.

THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO THINGS HAPPENING HERE
1) A man who thinks Jesus is only there to make his life easier.
2) A crowd who is actually hoping the disciples fail so they will be discredited.

TURN TO: MARK 9:14-23

Now in Mark’s gospel we get an entirely different picture.
When Jesus comes off of the mountain there is a crowd gathered,
And the crowd is gathered around an argument.

(14) “When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them.”

So the disciples are in the midst of a fight with the scribes.

In verse 16 Jesus asked, “What are you discussing with them?”

And before the disciples can answer, the argument reveals itself.

(17) “And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”

Do you see what is going on?
This man brought his son to the disciples and “told [them] to cast it out”

And when they couldn’t, it started an argument with the scribes
As to the certain ineffectiveness of the disciples.
Can’t you hear it?
“Oh, I thought your Master had authority over demons?”
“I thought you guys were miracle workers?”

And then the man takes the test to Jesus.

After the boy is brought to Jesus and is thrown into another convulsion.
(21-22) “And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. “It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”

Did you catch the “if You can…”?

Jesus did. (23) “If You can?” All things are possible to him who believes.”

And at that point the father changes his tune.
(24) “Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

From Mark’s gospel we see why Jesus gets so upset.
There is something about this that just doesn’t feel right.

This was a twisted request.
We have one man who wants a miracle.
We have a crowd who delights that there wasn’t one.
AND NEITHER ARE INTERESTED IN REPENTANCE & SALVATION

A Twisted Request
#2 A TERRIBLE REBUKE
Matthew 17:17-18

Now that we understand what was going on,
It makes a little more sense why Jesus was so passionate.

“And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?”

OUCH!
He saw right through them.
He knew their manipulation…
He knew their trickery…
He knew their motives…

And He was sick of it!
These people were not the least bit interested
In the salvation that Jesus came to offer.

They were only focused on the surface, on temporal issues,
With no spiritual value.
And Jesus said they were not only “unbelieving”,
But they were also “perverted”

“perverted” translates DIASTREPHO
(dia = “through” strephos = “to turn”)

They twisted things, they turned them through
They perverted what was right,
They magnified the unimportant and ignored the truly significant.

And I promise if you have been involved in ministry very long,
You have felt His frustration.
(Benevolence ministry will do this to you)

Jesus was frustrated here.
He was sick and tired of people whose main motivation was comfort and pleasure for this life, but who would give no thought to eternity.

He was sick and tired of people who wanted nothing to do with the message or repentance, but sought ways to discredit it at every turn.

And He wondered how much longer He had to put up with it.

The notice a sad reality.
“Bring him here to Me. And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.”

Now again, that looks like a good thing.
And to a degree it was.
The demon left.

But notice the word used.
“the boy was cured at once”

“cured” translates THERAPEUO
It means “to cure”
It is way different from previous words.

Remember the woman with the hemorrhage?
Matthew 9:22 “But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.”

The word there was SOZO, which means “saved”

This boy wasn’t saved, he was cured.
That means in reality, he was actually no better off.

You say, “Sure he was, the demon was gone.”
Have we forgotten?
Matthew 12:43-45 “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

That is where this boy was.
He was about to be in worse shape than when he started.

Jesus would have saved his sole and forgiven his sin.
Jesus would have granted him eternal life.

But as it was they only wanted momentary relief, and that is all they got.

A Twisted Request, A Terrible Rebuke
#3 A TIMELY REMINDER
Matthew 17:19-21

Here we come to the teaching lesson,
And this is pretty revealing to us as well.

(19) “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?”

And this is an understandable question.

If you remember when Jesus first sent them out He said:
Matthew 10:7-8 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”

Later when He sent out the 70 they returned and said:
Luke 10:17 “The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

And so this incident caught them completely off guard.
Here a crowd had arrived, scribes had dared them,
The challenge was presented and the fell flat on their face.

“We looked like idiots!”
And they wanted to know why.

(20) “And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

So the quick answer to the disciples as to why they failed
Is because their faith is too small.
The reason they cast out demons before, and not this time
Is because before they exercised faith, here they did not.

But let’s talk about this a second.

Jesus said their faith was too little and then He said, “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed…”

Now thanks to His parables on the kingdom,
We know the symbolism of the mustard seed.
It was the smallest of all garden seeds.

So hear what Jesus is saying.
“Your faith isn’t even as big as a mustard seed,
For if it was, you could move a mountain.”

What does it mean to move a mountain?
Jesus is only speaking in illustrative terms here.
There is no record in Scripture that Jesus or His apostles
Ever actually moved a mountain.

It means to accomplish something very difficult.
And if the disciples faith had been as big as a mustard seed
They could have accomplished this difficult task.

SO WHAT WERE THE DISCIPLES DOING?
(we know what they weren’t doing)

If you are reading the NIV, your bible does not contain verse 21,
Except in a note on the bottom of the page.

It is a bracketed verses indicating that in the oldest manuscripts of Matthew, this verse was not included (indicating it must have been added later)

There are several like this incidentally. (The angel stirring the water in John 5:4; the woman caught in adultery in John 8, the entire end of Mark’s gospel)

But here is what verse 21 says, “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

So we are inclined to be careful about giving too much weight to this verse
Since it is proven that Matthew did not initially write it.

However Mark’s gospel does say this:
Mark 9:29 “And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

So we know the disciples weren’t praying.
They were trying to cast out a demon without seeking God.

That means they were doing it on their own strength,
And ultimately for their own glory.

I don’t know if they were waiving their hands or shouting, or hitting the boy on the forehead or what, but they weren’t seeking God.

And since God doesn’t honor those types of self-glorifying displays
The disciples fell flat on their face.

The disciples wanted to accomplish their ministry,
But they wanted to do it in a way that earned them some respect
Among the religious community.

They were trying to be effective followers of Jesus
And yet be admired by the world at the same time.

But that isn’t possible because the world is perverted.
On this day the disciples had been presented with a problem,
And most of the people actually hoped they would fail.

And that is why we see the next point.
#5 THE TOUGH REALITY
Matthew 17:22-23

Here Jesus reminded them a third time.
It is not possible to follow Me and be loved by the world.
• This world is perverted, and they don’t love Me.
• Those religious leaders are unbelieving, and they don’t love Me.

They hate me because they are unbelieving and perverted,
And rest assured they are going to kill Me.

“The Son of Man IS going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they WILL kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.”

Luke’s gospel says it like this:

Luke 9:41-44 “And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”

According to Luke Jesus said, “Let these words sink into your ears;”

It was clear that the disciples did not fully grasp
That Jesus would be hated by the world.
So Jesus uses the example of this crowd mocking them as added proof.
“See! I’m tell you the world does not love Me, and they will kill Me!”

Matthew’s gospel says, “And they were deeply grieved.”

(Wasn’t all grief for Jesus)
Their grief also came from the realization
That they cannot follow Jesus and be loved by the world.

So friends we remind ourselves of this truth yet again.
We must let it sink into our ears as well.

The call to follow Jesus is not a call to gain credibility in the world,
It is call to forsake the world and follow Jesus.

When we try to prove ourselves to the world,
Then we fail miserably in our mission, just as the disciples did.

But when we trust God, not worrying about what the world thinks,
They may hate us, but the mission is a success.

We must come to grips with the fact that this world is perverted
And if we are to follow Jesus, then they will hate us.

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”

John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”

John 17:14-15 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”
1 John 3:13 “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.”

1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”

I know it is a tough reality, but it is a reality none the less.

And the reason why we have tribulation in this world
Is not because we hate the people in the world,
It is because this world is perverted and hates Jesus.

And so if you set yourself up as a follower of Jesus,
Then know they will hate you to.
So when you minister here,
Minister in discernment, and minister in faith.

Ephesians 5:6-11 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;”

And above all choose to follow Christ anyway.

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

The Transfiguration
Matthew 16:28-17:13
January 29, 2012

You will remember that the last couple of weeks
We have been studying a very difficult reality.

Jesus not only revealed the coming victory of His church,
But also the means by which His church would obtain victory.

In short, the church gains victory through the suffering of the Savior.

Matthew 16:21 “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.”

Without a doubt that was a difficult truth to swallow.
The church could not exist apart from the public suffering, death,
And resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And now, thanks to the explanation of the rest of the New Testament
We understand why.
• His Suffering was to make Him a merciful High Priest
• His Death was to atone for sin.
• His Resurrection was to defeat the grave.

We understand it now, and it all makes perfect sense.

But, as you will remember,
That was the first time the disciples had ever heard that.
That verse said, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples…”

They had never heard that.
• They had been told by John that He was “the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world”
• Andrew told Peter “We have found the Messiah”
• Philip told Nathanael “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and
also the Prophets wrote”

And even recently Peter called Him “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”

So they understood and believed He was the Messiah,
But they did not understand the reality of His suffering.

In fact it was so foreign to them that Peter actually pulled Jesus aside
And said, “Forbid it Lord! This shall never happen to You.”

Of course that earned Peter a rebuke
And it prompted Jesus into a new theological lesson.

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

But this was all relatively new information to the disciples,
And certainly it came as a shock.

They had signed up to follow Him,
But they hadn’t necessarily expected that He was
Headed to a crucifixion when they said they would follow.

But it was from there that Jesus actually gave some incentive.
He appealed to their human logic.

He knew it would be hard to let go of this life, so He gave them an option.

Matthew 16:25-26 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

He told them that there was a choice to be made.

He was going to the cross.
They could either follow Him there and gain eternal life,
Or they could abandon Him and keep this one, thus forfeiting eternal life.

The choice was theirs.
If you want eternal life, you must pay the cost.

And then came a very pivotal verse.
Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

That verse revealed two very important things.

1) That the decision we make will be rewarded.
The decision to follow will be met with eternal reward.
The decision to forsake will be met with eternal punishment.

2) The suffering of the Savior won’t last forever.

Sure He was presently headed to Jerusalem to publicly suffer crucifixion
But rest assured that suffering won’t last forever.

For the humiliation of Christ is only for a time, glory is coming.
“For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of His Father and with His angels and will then repay…”

• The humility is temporary, “glory” is coming.
• The rejection is temporary, He will come “with His angels”
• The suffering is temporary, He “will then repay”
And to make sure we understood that point,
Jesus made another statement that we see here this morning.

(28) “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Not only did Jesus promise that
A day was coming when His glory would be revealed,
But He also promised that
Some of the twelve would see that glory before they died.

He was saying, “I will return in glory and I’ll prove it by letting some of you see that glory before you die.”

And that is the event we study this morning.
“Six days later” Jesus would make good on His promise.

This morning we study what is commonly known as
“The Transfiguration”.

But beyond seeing the event, I also want to show you why it happened.

4 things
#1 GLORY REVEALED
Matthew 17:1-2

“Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.”

I don’t really know why Jesus picked these three,
Except that it was evident that these three had a more personal
And intimate relationship with Jesus than the rest did.

These were the same three that accompanied Him further in the garden.

• It could very well have been that these three were the leaders.
• Most certainly He needed three to fulfill the O.T. requirement of witnesses.

Deuteronomy teaches that on the testimony of two or three witnesses a matter is to be confirmed.

But these three see something special.
(2) “And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.”

We are all aware of what took place when Jesus came to this earth.

Philippians 2:5-7 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

From eternity past Jesus “existed in the form of God”,
But for the last 30 or so years He existed “in the likeness of men.”

On this day, the real Jesus stepped out.
All this world had ever seen was the costume He was wearing.

Isaiah 53 described the costume:
Isaiah 53:1-3 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

Isaiah depicted the costume Jesus had been wearing.
It was not stately…
It was not majestic…
It was not attractive…
It was full of sorrows and woe…
It was not esteemed, in fact it was despised…

But on this day the costume was removed.
On this day, for just a few moments the real Jesus stepped out.

And the result?
“His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.”

What tremendous glory He has!

In fact, the world has never seen anything like it.
You may remember that Moses took on himself the glory of God, but do you remember what Moses did?

He hid it behind a veil.

But no veil could hide this glory, for even “His garments became as white as light”

It is certain that Jesus was a beacon on this mountain top.
He had a glory no garment could cover.

And we are reminded of a very important fact,
And that is that his suffering and humiliation is only temporary.
We tend to think more of Jesus as the suffering servant
Than we do as the glorified king.

(Namely because so much of Scripture deals with His suffering)

But rest assured His humiliation is the strange part.
His glory is the norm.

The next time this world sees Jesus, it will be in this type of glory.

Remember how John saw Him?
Revelation 1:12-16 “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.”

Remember the vision of the 2nd Coming?
Revelation 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

This is the normal Jesus.
This is the expected Jesus.
The veil of flesh was temporary, it was the costume.

And on this day, for just a moment, the real Jesus shined through.
He was transfigured and His glory shown!

That is why John was able to say when he wrote His gospel:
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John said, we saw His flesh, but rest assured He was full of glory.
John knew, because on this day he saw it.

So the glory of Jesus was revealed.
Glory as bright as the sun, glory that no garment could contain.

This is the real Jesus!

Glory Revealed
#2 CROSS REINFORCED
Matthew 17:3-5

Now, I realize that it is difficult to see the cross being reinforced
From this particular passage,
So I need to borrow a verse from Luke’s gospel here for a moment.

Luke 9:29-31 “And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”

We see here in Matthew’s gospel that “Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.”

We know who they are, and we know why they are here.
(And this was not a vision, these men were really there)

But together they are representative of the Law and the Prophets.
And so here on the mountain we have the Written Word,
The Spoken Word, and the Incarnate Word

And thanks to Luke’s gospel we know what they are talking about.

“speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem”

“departure” there does not indicate His ascension.
It speaks of His death.

Peter uses the same word in his epistle to speak of his own death.
2 Peter 1:15 “And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.”

Furthermore the term “accomplish” speaks of victory
Over and through a suffering.

1 Peter 5:9 “But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”

Jesus, Moses, and Elijah had convened on this mountain top in their glory
And were speaking about the coming crucifixion of our Lord.

This was not a “nice to have you back conversation” this was a conversation about what He was about to endure.

And so Jesus, even though temporarily out of his shell,
Is still looking to the cross,
And it is obvious all of heaven anticipates it with Him.

But it is at this point that Peter jumps in again.

(4) “Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

So Jesus is having a conversation about the crucifixion,
But again Peter has other plans.

When Jesus first spoke of the cross, it was clear that Peter didn’t like it f
Or he took Jesus aside and rebuked Him.

But when Peter sees Jesus glorified and talking with Moses and Elijah
This is more like it. “Lord, it is good”

It is like Peter is saying, “Now this is what I’m talking about, no more foolish talk about suffering and death.”

In fact it is clear that Peter wanted this to be a permanent thing.

“I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

What Peter is doing here is trying to push Jesus to just stay like this.
No more humiliation, no more suffering, no more talk of a cross.

Just keep your glory, keep Moses and Elijah,
Stay on this mountain and let Your glory remain.

I think we can agree that Peter just never learns.
He always has to throw his two cents in.

My dad has said, “Peter was always broadcasting when he should have been tuning in.”
Man is that ever true.

(5) “While he was still speaking…”

That means that Peter had more to say, but God interrupted him.

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

So while Peter is still in the middle of telling Jesus
What He ought to do next, God intervenes.

He reminds Peter of several things.
1) “This is My beloved Son”
That is to remind Peter of Jesus’ status.
Jesus, not Peter, is the Son of God, and Jesus, not Peter will make the plans.

2) “with whom I am well-pleased”

That is a statement that links very closely to the sacrificial aspect of Jesus’ life as He is the only acceptable sacrifice to the Father.

3) “listen to Him!”

God told Peter it was time for him to stop talking and start listening.

For the past week Peter has had this idea
That Jesus didn’t need to go to the cross,
And despite the messages of Jesus
It is apparent that Peter still wanted to get his point across.

At this point, God from heaven intervenes and says, “Peter, enough is enough, quit talking and start listening.”

I don’t know if God has ever told you to shut your mouth,
But He did here to Peter.

Jesus was here for one purpose, and that was the cross.
Peter didn’t like it, Peter chose to argue with it,
And God finally put a stop to it.

And on this mountain, not only was the glory of Jesus revealed,
But His cross was reinforced.
Jesus was here to suffer and die.

Glory Revealed, Cross Reinforced
#3 HUMILITY RESUMED
Matthew 17:6-8

This is one of those obvious statements.

“When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.”

I can picture James and John holding their hands over Peter’s mouth.
“Quit talking Peter before He kills us all!”

These men don’t know what is about to happen.

(7) “And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And lifting their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.”

Here they saw “Jesus Himself alone”

• It was a nice moment.
• It must have felt good to wear the glory for a few more minutes.
• But now, it is back to the focus.

The glory is once again concealed it is normal Jesus.

It must have felt great to have it for a few moments,
But now it is back to the mission.

So once again Jesus tells His glory “good-bye”.
Once again He veils Himself in human flesh.

And that is a very dramatic point to be made to those who are watching.
There is no doubt they saw His glory
And there is no doubt they wanted it to remain.

But after a stern rebuke from heaven that the cross comes first,
They now see Jesus back in humble form.

It should have really sunk in at this moment what He was here to do.
No more arguing, no more manipulating, no more discouraging.

This is the plan of God and it is time to get back to it.

Glory Revealed, Cross Reinforced, Humility Resumed
#4 TRUTH REALIZED
Matthew 17:9-13

So the event has occurred,
Jesus has done just as He said He would back in chapter 16.

These men saw His glory before they tasted death.

(9) “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”

Now that seems strange.
They just saw the glory, but they aren’t to tell anyone until after the resurrection.

That opens the door for us to ask, then what was the purpose?
It obviously wasn’t a proof of His ministry for the present.
It obviously wasn’t meant to comfort the disciples.

WHY THEN DID JESUS EVEN GO THROUGH THE TRANSFIGURATION?
Jesus explicitly says it is information to be reserved for after “the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”

That only leaves one reason why.

So that after He rose and even ascended,
The disciples could speak with certainty
That Jesus would in fact return in glory to judge the world.

And if you will remember they did.
Peter did at Pentecost.

And even later in his epistle as he told his people to be holy,
He reinforced it by assuring them of the Lord’s return in glory.

2 Peter 1:16-18 “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” — and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”

Peter told his people to be holy and referenced this event
As proof that it matters.

And so this event was not for the 12, in reality it was for you and me.
This is to prove to us that Jesus has glory and He will return in it.

(10) “And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

This question kind of seems out of the blue.
But it really isn’t.

The disciples are just trying to iron out problems
That they couldn’t sort out in their own mind.

You see, all their life they had been taught that
Elijah would come before the Messiah.
Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

And so they were waiting for Elijah.
And they thought he had just come, but he left.

So now they were confused.
If You are the Messiah, where is Elijah?

They were trying to get their theology straight.
(11-13) “And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.”

So we get Jesus’ answer.
• Elijah did come.
• But they killed him.
• And they will do the same to Me.

You see, the reason the disciples hadn’t recognized Elijah
Is because they had no room for suffering in their Messianic story.

They weren’t prepared for the suffering of the forerunner,
They weren’t prepared for the suffering of the Messiah.

And this was a major hurdle they were now having to get over.
(Peter had even argued with it)

But after being told to be quiet and listen on the mountain,
That is what they are doing and Jesus tells them straight.

“Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.”

And so it finally begins to sink in to the disciples.
• It took a revelation from Jesus.
• It took a rebuke from Jesus.
• It took a rebuke from God on the mountain.
• And now another revelation from Jesus.

But for the first time the disciples are beginning to understand
That suffering really is a part of the equation.

They hadn’t wanted to believe it.

They wanted a life of ease following the Messiah to glory,
And even when Jesus told them otherwise they didn’t want to believe it.

Now friends, we have the same issues.
We are kind of like the disciples were.

We don’t really want to follow the Savior to suffering either,
And if God said it was necessary we would probably argue just like Peter.

But the truth is the truth.
The call to follow Jesus is first a call to suffer and then a call to glory.

What Jesus did here on the mountain was simply reinforce
What He taught them back in Caesarea Philippi

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

And so as the reality is sinking in to the disciples,
Let it sink in to you as well.

We are called to deny self, take up the cross and follow Jesus.
No, it won’t always be pleasant, yes some of it will be hard.

But it is the call none the less.
We must choose to follow anyway,
Knowing that the glory that follows will be worth it.

Matthew 16:26-27 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

Following Jesus (part 2)
Matthew 16:21-27
January 22, 2012

Last time we met began to discuss this really insightful
And pivotal lesson that Jesus taught His disciples.

It all began with Jesus revealing His future plans for the church.

Christ was coming to build a church.
• A church designed by Him and for Him.
• A church that would be victorious even over the gates of hell.
• A church that is distinguished by those who confess Him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God.

But as Christ revealed then, the church was His plan,
But it wasn’t here yet.

So Jesus revealed the means by which the church would come .

(21) “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.”

And we talked about this last time,
These were not possible things that might happen,
But necessary things that had to happen.

If the church was ever to come into existence, then:
• Christ had to suffer and suffer publicly in Jerusalem.
• Christ had to die a death to atone for sin.
• Christ had to rise from the dead, conquering it forever.

These weren’t things that should happen,
These were things that “must” happen.

If they didn’t, then the church would never be
What Christ envisioned it to be.

And that makes sense to us now,
But it most certainly did not make sense to Peter.

#1 – A SELFISH INTERRUPTION (22)

Peter actually took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him.
(unbelievable audacity)

Namely because Peter wasn’t interested
In following Jesus to suffering and death.

#2 A STERN REBUKE (23)

Jesus actually called Peter; Satan.

In short, Peter was preaching Satan’s gospel.
• It was victory without a battle.
• It was achievement without dedication.
• It was reward without cost.
• It was deliverance without suffering.

And the problem is that Peter most likely wasn’t alone in his desires.

It is quite obvious that the rest of the disciples were right with Peter
And so Jesus addressed them all.

#3 A SIMPLE FACT (24-25)

And we talked about this a little last week,
But it is worth expounding on here this morning a little bit more.

This is what Jesus wanted the twelve to understand.
Following Jesus is not a life of ease and comfort.

Following Jesus is hard.

By definition, to follow someone means “to go where they go.”
And Jesus is going to Jerusalem to suffer and die.

That means that followers have a few musts as well.
1) “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself”

Again we are reminded as to who Christ is talking about.
“anyone” who wants to be with Jesus.

We have almost created in Christianity today
This sort of tiered version of belief.

Like we have all these tiers of Christians on various tiers of commitment.
• Some who believe, but don’t obey.
• Some who obey a little as long as it doesn’t mess up their plans.
• Some who actually rearrange their whole lives for Jesus.

And somehow we have actually begun to think that was normal and OK.

But that is not what Jesus said.
Jesus didn’t say that only a select few followers must “deny” themselves.

He said “anyone [who] wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself.”
People today think the person who leaves his father or mother
Or farm or business or job or whatever else
In order to go and serve Christ is sort of a fanatic.
Jesus said they are the norm.

Search through your brain for a second and tell me if you can find any believer in the Bible who was allowed to keep their old manner of life.

• Certainly none of the disciples,
• And none of the ministry assistants in Scripture (men like Luke, or
Barnabas, or John Mark)

• You won’t find men like Timothy or Titus doing the same old
things.

But even those to whom Paul wrote his letters, those churches.
Every one of those people
Was EXPECTED to change and leave their old manner of life.

Ephesians 4:17-24 “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

Colossians 3:5-8 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”

The point is that self denial is the norm for Christians.
Christ doesn’t let anyone keep his old life.
Everyone has to deny self.

There is actually another word for this in Scripture,
It is called “Repentance”

• John the Baptist declared it. (repent…kingdom.. at hand)
• Jesus preached it. (repent…kingdom…at hand)
• Peter demanded it at Pentecost. (repent and be baptized)
• Paul preached it in Athens. (God is now declaring…repent)

Repentance is what God wants.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

God wants men to repent.
• Turn from their wickedness.
• Turn from their selfishness.
• Turn from their foolish pride and worldliness.

He wants men to turn around and go against the grain.
Stop doing what is in their own best interest, and do what God says.
“deny…self”

BUT WHY IS SELF-DENIAL SO IMPORTANT?

Because if you don’t deny yourself,
You will never do what is required next.

2) “and take up his cross”

If you look in this world you will see selfish men doing all sorts of things,
But you won’t find them carrying a cross.

And yet that is what Christ did.

AND LET ME ASK YOU, HOW DID HE DO IT?

The answer: He first denied Himself.
Philippians 2:5-8 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

And the simple point is that you can’t take up the cross
If you don’t first deny yourself.
Because taking up the cross is not easy.

John MacArthur wrote:
“Taking up one’s cross is not some mystical level of selfless “deeper spiritual life” that only the religious elite can hope to achieve. Nor is it the common trials and hardships that all persons experience sometime in life. A cross is not having an unsaved husband, nagging wife, or domineering mother-in-law. Nor is it having a physical handicap or suffering from an incurable disease. To take up one’s cross is simply to be willing to pay any price for Christ’s sake. It is the willingness to endure shame, embarrassment, reproach, rejection, persecution, and even martyrdom for His sake.”
(Matthew commentary, pg. 48-49)

To put it another way, to follow Jesus
You are agreeing to start on a death march.

Now it is true that not all who follow Jesus actually die a martyr’s death.
But all who follow Jesus must be willing to.
So Jesus said to take up the cross.
3) “and follow Me”

Jesus came to suffer.
Jesus came to die.
Jesus came to rise.

And friends this is the call of Jesus.
This is the expectation of Jesus.
This is what He told anyone who wants to follow what he must do.

• You may ask some church man what you have to do to be saved…
• You may ask some minister what you have to do to be saved…

But if you ask Jesus He will tell you that “if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

It is clear that you can’t live for you and Jesus at the same time.

It is the call of total and continual obedience to Jesus,
No matter what.

But if we still have trouble comprehending, Jesus goes on to say this:
(25) “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

That definitely reinforces what Jesus just said.
You get one life or the other, but not both.

If you choose to keep this life, then you forfeit eternal life.
If you choose to let this life go, then eternal life is yours.

And so let me remind you of something
That the early church was pretty clear on.
SUFFERING IS PART OF FOLLOWING JESUS

Somehow over the years it has come to be a popular belief
That God intends for your life to be all comfort, and blessing, and riches, and health, and prosperity.

Believe me when I tell you such convictions
Do not come from studying Scripture.
(Those thoughts come from an American society chasing the American dream)

For they were not the teachings of Jesus,
Nor where they the teachings of the apostles.

Jesus and the apostles were both extremely clear
As to what happens to those who follow Jesus.
Remember when Paul was on his second missionary journey?
He was stoned in Lystra by Jews from Iconium,
And then got up and went on his way.

Later he returned back through Lystra and Iconium, and do you remember the sermon?

Acts 14:21-22 “After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

According to Paul you don’t enter the kingdom except through tribulations.

That is why he told Timothy:
2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

That is why he told the Philippians:
Philippians 1:29-30 “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

And that is why Peter said the same:
1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”

1 Peter 4:1-2 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Folks hardship and suffering are part of Christianity.

HERE IS WHAT THAT MEANS

You cannot spend your life avoiding suffering
And following Jesus at the same time.

Continually choosing comfort will cause you to never follow Jesus.

Listen to what Paul told the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 4:8-16 “You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.”

Paul spoke very sarcastically to the Corinthians because they were trying to live as “filled” men as “rich” men as “kings”

And all the while the apostles of Jesus were
“condemned” and “fools” and “weak” and “without honor”

The Corinthians were rich, while the apostles were “hungry and thirsty”

WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK WAS MISSING THE POINT OF FOLLOWING CHRIST?

That is why Paul said, “be imitators of me”

In other words stop and follow Jesus
And accept the hardship that comes with it.

The simple fact is to follow Jesus you must let go of your life.

Now that catches us up to where we were last week.

A Selfish Interruption, A Stern Rebuke, A Simple Fact
#4 A SERIOUS QUESTION
Matthew 16:26

Actually it is two.
But it is two questions that make the same point.

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

The first question is this:
HOW MUCH WOULD IT TAKE TO GET YOU TO FORFEIT YOUR SOUL?

• How much money would it take to get you to agree to go to hell?
• How much would you sell your soul for?

• Would you take $50?
• How about $5,000,000?
• How about $5 billion?

• How about a perfect man or woman?
• How about 100 perfect men or women?

• How about fame?
How much would it take to get you to sell your soul?
And you answer, “nothing”.
I’m not selling my soul.

WHY?
Because there is no “profit” in it.

It’s not a good trade to what will last forever for what won’t.

But then Jesus reverses the question.
“Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU GIVE TO SAVE IT?
• You wouldn’t sell it for $50, but would you give $50 to save it?
• You wouldn’t sell it for $500, but would you give $500 to save it?
• You wouldn’t sell it for $5 million, but would you give $5 million to save it?

• You wouldn’t sell it for a relationship, but would you give one to save it?

• You wouldn’t sell it for fame, but would you give up fame to save it?

Because here is the kicker.
You and I really only get to answer the second one.
(because it is not as though our soul is safe ahead of time)

Mankind is born in sin, depraved from birth,
Headed for eternal destruction.

Now, if man was born sinless, and righteous and perfect,
Then our only objective would be to keep men from selling their soul.

We would tell them to watch out for temptation,
And we would keep them from selling their soul.

But man has already lost it.
Our mission is not to prevent sales, but to promote salvations.

We are trying to convince man to save his soul.
And Jesus will do it, but it will cost you everything.

Because in order to follow Him, you must “deny” yourself.

And so we have a pretty serious question to answer.
Peter, would you leave your nets to follow Jesus? Yes.
How about you Andrew, would you leave your nets to follow Jesus? – Yes
How about you James, how about you John? – Yes

Matthew would you leave your tax booth to follow Jesus? – Yes
Philip would you leave your family? – Yes
Nathanael would you give up your reputation? – Yes
How about you Rich Young Ruler, would you leave your money to follow Jesus? – No
How about you Pilate, would you lose your position to follow Jesus? – No
How about you Pharisee, would you admit you are wrong to follow Jesus? – No

You see folks, it is an all or nothing decision.
Either deny self and live for Jesus, Or deny Jesus and live for self,
But you can’t have it both ways.

That is the serious question.

A Selfish Interruption, A Stern Rebuke, A Simple Fact, A Serious Question
#5 A SOBERING REALITY
Matthew 16:27

And here is why you must choose.
“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.”

The point is someday what you did will become evident
And you will rewarded accordingly.

And please notice the standard of the reward.
“repay every man according to his deeds.”

Jesus is looking at what you do, not what you say.
Jesus is looking at what you do, not what you intend.

Did you follow or not?

You can talk about believing in Him until you are blue in the face.
You can talk about your ministry until you are blue in the face.
What He wants to know is did you follow Him?

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

The point is, we are not dealing in hypotheticals here.
• Jesus is real.
• He really came, and He really died.
• He really rose, and He will really return, and He will rule.

And He really said that in order to be His follower,
You had to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him.

SO WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE?

Will you forsake this life or not?
Will you embrace suffering as a part of following Jesus?
Will you take His cross and carry it?

Now I am fully aware that some will only see this sermon
As some sort of ploy to get people to sign up for mission trips.

I would certainly be Biblically grounded in doing so.
Contrary to popular belief, missions is not my deal, it is Christ’s deal.

He is the One who told us to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

And honestly none of us has the right to say “No”
Just because it is not something we want to do.

But even beyond that, this really isn’t a missions sermon.

THIS IS A BASIC SALVATION SERMON.
Jesus isn’t saying you can’t go on mission if you won’t deny self.
Jesus is saying you can’t be saved if you won’t deny self.

The reality is you must begin your death march for Jesus.

Matthew 16:24-26 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”