WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.199 Alright, good morning. 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:02.240 Good morning. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:08.320 So invariably uh hopefully the laptop stays up and running. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:19.600 This is a morning where we just rely on the Lord because there's a lot of moving parts and suddenly we're without the vanolis and the slutens are gone because Carrie's getting ready for surgery. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:25.199 And uh so we'll get to laugh at some things probably before the end of it all. 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:28.960 Um if you don't have a Bible this morning, there's Bibles here. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:32.479 What we're going through, we we go through the Bible verse by verse. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:33.600 We want you to have a copy. 00:00:33.679 --> 00:00:35.520 If you don't have one, it's our gift to you. 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:46.240 But this is this is we study uh verse by verse, and this is really it getting into the word, reading it for yourself is is part of uh our Sunday morning service. 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:59.520 So uh Brian has Bibles if you need one, and we're going through Mark, continuing through Mark chapter 8. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:03.840 Stand over just in case here. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:09.439 So you want to turn to Mark 8 with me. 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:10.719 I am Pete Maskell. 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:22.640 I'm an elder here at Abike Calvary and uh filling in for Pastor Chris as they're away after on a much-needed vacation trip, whatever you want to call it. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:27.599 Um, but uh they're able to get get away for four or five days and get some rest. 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:31.280 So uh we're gonna we'll read through the passage and then we'll dive right in. 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:38.400 All right, Mark 8, verses 34 through uh 9, verse 1. 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:50.400 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, If uh he being Jesus, if anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:56.400 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:01.359 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:03.840 What can anyone give in exchange for his life? 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:14.879 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels. 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:23.280 Then he said to them, Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come in power. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:27.199 And why don't you please pray with me? 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:45.680 Father, uh, I thank you so much for the opportunity here this morning that we can gather, we can be here in the flesh, uh enjoying fellowship, praying to you, studying your word without uh fear of persecution and death. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:52.879 We are so blessed in that way to get to to gather here and enjoy you and one uh one another. 00:02:53.120 --> 00:03:20.159 I pray for your fell your spirit to uh fall on us this morning, to anoint us uh each to hear your word and what you have to speak to us, that you would bring conviction, Father, that nothing would separate us in our minds, the distractions of the week would not uh would be would melt away, Father, and that you would uh overwhelm us by your grace and uh fill us your truth and have your way in us in Jesus' name. 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:21.120 Amen. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:25.840 Okay, so here we are in chapter eight. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:35.919 If uh you weren't here last week, or as a reminder last week, we we saw some great things in chapter eight. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:37.759 We're seeing them in chapter eight. 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:41.680 We're we're uh writing them, the passage just keeps going. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:43.919 So will we stop week to week? 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:48.800 Uh the the the dialogue is not, the dialogue doesn't stop, right? 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:50.800 The story and the dialogue and the narrative. 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:58.479 And and Mark will emphasize narrative and doing the the actions of Jesus more than the dialogue. 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:10.719 So we won't see the sermon, the Sermon on the Mount and such, but as we're going through, last week we saw uh the first first last little chunks of last week's text. 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:13.120 Peter nails it, right? 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:17.759 So Peter uh Jesus says, Who do men say that I am? 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:20.319 And Peter says, You're the Messiah. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:23.839 Uh and Jesus says, You strictly warn them not to tell anyone about him. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:27.519 Peter nails it right, does a great job. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:33.360 Then the next section, um, Jesus says those four things. 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:44.879 He says, and and if I can bring us into the context, Jesus fed the 4,000, he's fed the 5,000, he's been performing miracles, he has people following him, right? 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:52.399 There are uh there are crowds gathering, wanting to be around him, wanting to get healed, wanting to learn from him. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:05:12.720 And so this is, you can imagine, you've got all these people, and and what he's about to say this morning, we read through it, we've read through it already once, but um he's about to really uh he's turning the boat here, where he's though they're looking for some things, he wants to be very clear that where things are going. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:17.839 He is not the conquering uh Messiah that maybe they're expecting at this moment. 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:19.759 He says uh the four things. 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:26.480 He says, the Son of Man uh must suffer, one, two be rejected, uh three, be killed, and four rise. 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:37.920 And of course, you can think Peter, for whatever reason, whether he's Peter's thinking, uh, hey, this is too much, or don't be negative, or whatever, whatever it would be, or no, this can't be true. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:38.959 What are you talking about? 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:46.079 You know, uh, and instead, Peter takes him aside, which is probably good, right? 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:52.560 Instead, Jesus turns around from Peter, faces the crowd, and says, Get behind me, Satan. 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:59.600 This is uh, you're not thinking, you're not basically you're not mindful of God's concerns, but you're thinking about human concerns. 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:03.920 And that's where we try we transition into this morning's passage. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:12.639 So as he turns from Peter, he calls, it says he calls the crowd along with his disciples, so he says, All right, it's time, time to have a talk. 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:31.199 And uh he gets into really what can turn into some some key verses in Mark because we're really getting into, instead of just, hey, let's follow after Jesus, there's so many good things, there are some really heavy words from Jesus in the coming verses. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:47.839 So Jesus calls the crowd along with his disciples, he says to them, after a drink of water, he says to them, if anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 00:06:53.839 --> 00:07:04.240 Jesus is giving them here the costs and the requirements to follow after him and to be his disciple. 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:10.639 He says, if you want to follow after me, and they are they kind of are, right? 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:12.800 In a lot of ways, they are following him. 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:18.160 These people, they're folks who've been healed, people who want to be healed. 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:21.360 People who are looking for the Messiah, right? 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:26.240 Looking for the hope that is that their nation has been waiting for. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:28.959 He says, let him deny himself. 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:33.519 Other other versions may say, he must deny himself. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:40.800 This is that refusing to give uh into yourself. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:47.199 This is uh uh denying your own the desires maybe of your flesh. 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:56.480 Um this is uh denying your desire for maybe self-preservation. 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:02.319 And then he says, take up your cross. 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:09.680 And so this when I, you know, I as I started to prepare for the passage, it's it's so easy to read through this, right? 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:16.240 So we're hoping to slow this down as we go through the passage because we I think a lot of us probably know the verse. 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:18.639 Take up your cross. 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:21.519 What that is sounds so cool, doesn't it? 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:29.600 But what he's saying is, and he hasn't taken yet, he has not gone to the cross, but they know what the cross means to them. 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.960 Crucifixion to them is capital punishment. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:40.159 They pass by places with the crosses up, people on the cross, this is like R-rated stuff, right? 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:41.840 They pass by the cross. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:50.480 People on cap being capital under capital punishment, suffering and dying and decaying on the cross as a warning. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:55.840 Jesus says, if you want to follow me, take up your cross. 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:57.919 Who's gonna do that? 00:08:58.399 --> 00:08:59.039 Right? 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:01.759 Jesus knows what's coming. 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:10.480 In fact, he just said in the previous section, it's necessary for the Son of Man to suffer, be rejected, to be killed, and rise. 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:15.440 He doesn't say the cross, but he's he's getting them in, he's getting them ready for what's to come. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:28.960 He's saying, take up your cross, take up, in absolute submission, be prepared for a long, slow public death. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:33.919 Is anyone ready to turn around at this point? 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:45.519 Uh this is a big, this is this is a there's a cost to what he's asking for in this phrase. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:49.759 And he says, and follow me, do as I do, follow after me. 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:53.120 Which is saying which is saying a lot. 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:59.440 But but Jesus is saying here that before we get there, we must deny ourselves, take up a cross, and follow him. 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:04.080 We can't follow him without the willingness to take that cross. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:18.159 He goes on, and he gets into what I call a paradox, which is basically this doesn't make sense, but but it does make sense, the next verse as we get into 35. 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:26.080 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever lose his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:35.360 And these verses are right in the face of our American culture, and we'll we'll continue to see that in the passage. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:44.559 This does not make sense to those who don't know Jesus Christ and don't know the saving power of his grace. 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:48.159 Does it make sense? 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:56.639 Um let me let me uh the amplified version I think is helpful here, and I'll embellish with some of it, uh some of the wording from the Amplified. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:08.879 For whoever wants to save his life in this world will eventually lose it, but whoever loses his life in this world because of me and the gospel will eventually will save it from the eternal consequences of sin. 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:15.279 This verse, uh, what and what does it mean to lose your life? 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:19.600 Um this is not like losing your keys, right? 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:22.639 So we can, okay, who's gonna lose his life? 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:23.600 Well, what am I getting? 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:24.240 What does that mean? 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:26.399 I'm gonna like forget it somewhere? 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:36.000 Well, uh the best place I can go, and if you want to turn with me to Philippians 3, it's easier for me to just go to scripture for this. 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:44.639 So Philippians 3, if you go in in uh forward several books, you'll find Paul's letter to the Philippians. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:55.279 Paul is writing to Philippians, and he he puts it in words better than I can. 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:06.080 He says, um, as he's describing where he's been and what and and and his perspective on all that he had. 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:15.519 If anyone, he says, this is Philippians 3, verses 4 through 11, if anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:28.399 Circumcise the eighth day of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews, regarding the law, a Pharisee, regarding zeal, persecuting the church, regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:33.519 But everything that was gained to me I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:40.240 More than that I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:44.480 Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them as dung. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:56.320 So that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:07.360 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from the dead. 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:18.480 Paul, and so uh in college, the the you know, uh people there's there, you know, you can make a shirt if you want to make a shirt, right? 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:22.799 And so somebody in college made these shirts and they were a really cool green shirt. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:23.679 I wore holes in it. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:26.080 It it said loser on the front. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:32.240 It was just green shirt with white letters, just said loser across the front, and it said Matthew 16 through 25. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:36.080 And I thought, this is a great shirt. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:44.399 Because for me to be walk around calling myself a loser, the world looks, thinks of a loser in one light, right? 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:48.639 And maybe thinks of it in the same way as me being a Christian in a lot of ways. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:14:05.600 But we forget, like, okay, well, in a sense, my being a loser is similar in that, but and it's just like Jesus would say in this verse, it doesn't make sense that I would think of myself as a loser. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:11.120 Not in the days of Oprah, not in not in self-esteem days, right? 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:19.919 What we're talking about is not uh my esteem of myself, but of really what will ultimately be God's esteem of me. 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:25.840 So Paul in Philippians, he had everything to gain. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:30.639 Paul had uh he had it, he basically had it made. 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:35.600 He was in leadership, he had Roman citizenship, that's not even listed here. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:41.360 And what Paul said is uh think think of a think of your house burns down, right? 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:43.919 And you say, that's a total loss, right? 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:52.879 But let's say your house doesn't burn down, Paul would say, well, I had it all, but I'm still I'm considering those things that were gain or great to me of value. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:55.039 I'm I'm considering them loss. 00:14:55.600 --> 00:15:09.440 Not because they weren't some in some ways good in and themselves, but uh in in compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, he says, I consider them as dung or rubbish. 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:10.879 I consider them loss. 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:13.120 They may as well be of no value. 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:26.240 And he was okay making that statement because he saw that yes, those things were good, but there was no comparison with what Christ offered through his cross. 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:35.039 And you notice he does, he he actually is already, Paul speaks to it so well, um, that I may know him in the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings. 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:39.039 That's what Jesus is intending for us, even in this passage. 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:41.440 Taking up his cross and following him. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:50.000 I feel it's easy to say because it's easy to say when uh suffering's not on your doorstep, right? 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:57.840 But Jesus is calling the disciples, calling the people following, saying, here's the price. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:00.480 Um, here's the price for following me. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:04.320 You want to follow me, this is what it's gonna take. 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:15.440 I felt similarly um, I felt similarly uh going into college. 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:17.200 I got saved in my freshman year. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:22.399 I went to college, I wanted to, I I I really had a vision. 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:24.480 I wanted to, well, so I'm a civil engineer. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:27.679 I wanted to design great big bridges, huge. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:30.000 I mean I love big infrastructure projects. 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:33.360 That's just, and I still do, I still enjoy those things. 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:47.039 Um but I wasn't a believer, and the Lord put put people in my life and ordained everything about my freshman year to surround me by believers who knew him. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:53.039 I saw something I needed and wanted, and I finally understood and responded to the gospel. 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:56.080 But what happened after I got saved? 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:10.799 I just didn't get the same passion for my career and infrastructure for building, all these things that can be great, but passion went away. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:26.960 And those things, and in a lot of ways, I went, I can understand there's things I don't want about what that career would have meant, because it would have meant a loss and a sacrifice of family and marriage and relationships, moving from place to place, right? 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:32.880 Some people count those things lost, saying, Oh, I'm going after my career. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:34.559 I can work 20 hours a day. 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:38.400 And there are billionaires today who work 20 hours a day. 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:45.759 But Jesus is saying here, if you want to preserve your life, you'll need to lose it. 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:51.839 Because, and this is not existence, you're not losing your existence, right? 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:58.160 And uh, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:18.960 And so what we're talking here is ultimately that Jesus is saying if if you want to find yourself rescued from the eternal consequences of sin and in everything God created you for, we need to lose our life and count it as loss as though it were nothing, as though it were trash. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:21.680 In the next verse, verse 36. 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:26.000 I don't even have a clock, so we'll see if we can keep the progress moving. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:26.799 I apologize. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:32.079 So, uh, for what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:38.160 So we're gonna switch gears and we're gonna look, okay, let's look at the loser from verse 35. 00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:58.559 What does it gain someone to gain, if I can put this a different way, what what does it benefit someone to gain everything, everything the world has to offer with its temporary passing pleasures, and yet lose his life or lose his soul, as some translations say. 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:02.799 There's a man, uh his name was Rich Young Ruler. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:04.640 I don't know his real name. 00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:16.240 Um this is the guy that comes to mind because I think there may be other maybe other good examples, and I'll read it to you without flipping there. 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:20.240 Um this is just one example, right? 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:28.000 You may be here and may say, Why are you telling me about how hard it is to lose my life? 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:29.759 I don't have anything to lose. 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:30.640 Sign me up. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:38.480 I I am signed up, and that might be true, but Jesus is also with a crowd here who needs to hear. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:45.359 And some people here, and I myself, there are two there are two sides of this, right? 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:47.119 I got nothing to lose. 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:49.440 I've got nothing of value here. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:54.720 I I have there's nothing to walk away from, but uh, but only to Jesus. 00:19:55.200 --> 00:20:03.920 But then we get verse verse 36, and I'm I'll read to you from this about the rich young ruler, which uh we we hear about, and I'm gonna read from Matthew 19. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:08.960 Just then someone came up and asked him, Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life? 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:11.039 Why do you ask me what is good? 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:11.920 He said to him. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:17.839 Which ones? 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:19.200 He asked him. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:24.480 Jesus answered, Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness. 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:27.599 Honor your father and your mother, and love your neighbor as yourself. 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:30.079 I have kept all these, the young man told him. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.920 What do I still lack? 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:39.680 If you want to be perfect, Jesus said to him, Go, sell your belongings, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:41.920 Then come, follow me. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:48.240 When the young man heard that, he went away grieving because he had many possessions. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:57.279 So, just one example, what can a man uh what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his lose his life, the rich young ruler? 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:02.880 He he sounded like he had a lot to lose, at least in his mind, but did he? 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:07.920 Because it he in his perspective, he had many things he had to sacrifice. 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:21.359 But what Jesus is saying here is those are nothing compared to the surpassing riches of the glory that Christ is offering, not at any cost, but at the cost that Jesus would pay on the cross. 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:31.279 Jesus brings the point home, what can anyone give in exchange for his life? 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:34.160 The answer is there is no price. 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:38.160 What can a man give in exchange for his life? 00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:50.559 Jesus is, and though some would say there is a price on a life, that's what our culture does. 00:21:51.039 --> 00:22:00.799 Um our culture will um put a price on a lot of things, uh, and literally slavery in our in our County. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:05.759 People will put a price on slavery, on a human life. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:09.440 But Jesus is saying there, this is rhetorical. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:15.920 There is not, there is nothing you can give in exchange for your life. 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:20.400 He moves on to the next verse. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:26.240 And let me say, Jesus remind Jesus tells us that he doesn't just give life. 00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:30.640 He says in John 14, 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:33.200 No one comes to the Father except through me. 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:48.480 Where we get off in in our uh in the in the world or sucked away in the world is when we fail to remember that Jesus doesn't just give it, but that he is our life. 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:54.480 When we see the shiny stuff, I mean this can be as easy as turning on Netflix in the evening, right? 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:59.279 And it's really nice to turn on Netflix and watch a show. 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:01.039 And maybe this isn't you. 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:04.799 To unplug, right? 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:21.279 But there are so many things drawing us away from away from uh bathing and washing our minds in the water, in the water of the word, uh, that we lose track of the truth of what is valuable and what isn't. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:26.400 We can easily get sucked into, and we're gonna get into this in the next verse. 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:33.680 We can easily get sucked in uh in this day and age is absolutely completely pertinent. 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:38.720 Um that's why we're gathering here this morning. 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:40.160 We need the reminders. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:43.279 I need the reminder as I'm as I go through this. 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:55.759 This is very helpful for me because it forces me to confront the truth of who Jesus is, who I am in him, and what the cost is for following after him. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:57.920 So the next verse 38. 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:08.480 For whoever is ashamed of me in my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels? 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:27.359 Okay, so if you're expecting theology from me, we I'm not gonna I I don't know, I don't know exactly how to parse this verse and be confident in telling you that this verse is pertaining to salvation or to reward. 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:38.240 Does this mean that if I'm ashamed of of Jesus and his words, that when he comes, that he will be ashamed and that I won't be, that I won't be saved? 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:42.480 Or does it mean that he's gonna be ashamed and I'm losing my reward in heaven? 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:46.799 I I can't tell you that exactly, but let me let me make some points. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:55.680 Has Jesus died on the cross for every bit of sin and shame that I have ever done or ever will do? 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:56.960 He has. 00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:02.480 So if I'm if I am shending and what is shame. 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:05.839 I have to parse these things out because I will breeze through these words. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:13.599 Uh so let's say it's embarrassment or fear or or being uh of being humiliated. 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:15.759 Is that pretty good for ashamed? 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:18.960 So maybe I find myself self-ashamed. 00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:24.400 Maybe I'm talking to a co-worker and uh my wife gave me an example. 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:32.000 She was talking to somebody, she doesn't know I'm sharing this, but she but she's okay. 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:42.799 Hmm, okay, so uh no, but someone said, is is the Bible really said say that homosexuality is is a sin? 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:46.480 And she was like, oh my goodness. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:50.559 And I was like, you can't even you can't answer that question. 00:25:51.119 --> 00:26:02.079 You have you have to completely turn that into uh an opportunity to present the truth uh in the right perspective. 00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:09.920 Because the moment you say yes or no, you've lost the opportunity to present God's perspective on the answer. 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:10.720 Okay? 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:20.160 Is the moment we have some shame, does that mean we've lost, we we are, we're we're going that he will, that God will be ashamed? 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:22.160 Let's step back. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:37.359 If we're in Christ, we're a new creation, uh the the Bible says that uh Christ became sin for us, that we became, and that we might become the righteousness of God, right? 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:44.240 So, bottom line, God's grace is so deep and far reaching. 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:51.839 When I read this, I think of two verses, and I'm just gonna bring a couple of these things out because I think it'd be good to kind of bring in perspective. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:27:01.920 Because I'm not gonna give a fur I won't give a firm answer on what this means, or but let me bring two things, uh two things into this. 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:09.200 Revelation 19 is Jesus coming with uh coming with the armies, right, to judge the armies, uh to judge the earth. 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:19.759 Revelation 20 is the the bima seat, and I'm not going into this in great detail, but it's the it's when Christians are gonna get the opportunity to be rewarded for the things they've done uh on earth. 00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:26.240 This passage sounds a bit like the former in Revelation 19 on the judgment passage, right? 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:42.319 If I go to the same passage as Mark, but go into Matthew, he'll say very similarly, and I don't have the verse, but he's gonna say, uh Jesus is gonna come with with the angels uh in the glory of God, and he's and he will reward those for their works. 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:51.839 And so we read a pat we read in that passage that this sounds similar to really, hey, uh he's gonna come and we're gonna be rewarded for our works. 00:27:53.200 --> 00:28:01.440 Um I don't know if if this shame is means that that person will not spend eternity with Jesus or not. 00:28:01.839 --> 00:28:10.319 But let's let let's step back and we'll bring this, we're gonna bring it back to really what I think the passage is looking to teach us. 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:33.920 If I have the opportunity to take up my cross, that means that long, slow public death, that persecution, suffering, and I say, I am not willing, I am not willing, Jesus, and this is me paraphrasing not saying, I mean, I'm not willing to count the to count that cost. 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:37.599 I'm not willing to pick up the cross, I'm not willing to be persecuted for your name. 00:28:37.839 --> 00:28:44.000 If I am ashamed of him, and that is my stance, maybe I'm a Christian name, but I'm ashamed of him. 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:52.799 Um, Jesus is saying here, uh, this this the cost of discipleship includes maybe being shamed for his name. 00:28:53.119 --> 00:29:04.079 It may mean as a whole that we're going, we could be seeing a life in general, maybe not as Americans as much, but we could be seeing a life of shame or humility or feeling embarrassed. 00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:05.519 And let's look at this. 00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:08.160 What would make me feel ashamed? 00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:18.319 I think Christians may uh in a in the past uh it might be looking stupid, feeling like you're looking stupid. 00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:29.519 Uh, or believing, you know, someone's trying to humiliate a Christian because they're believing in the invisible, or how can you believe in a God that fills in the blank, right? 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:35.680 The world right now wants us to feel shame. 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:45.119 Right now, how many times can you look at the news and and it is you should be shameful for being a Christian, right? 00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:53.680 You should you should be ashamed for the way that your Christian faith has has judged so many people. 00:29:55.759 --> 00:30:09.519 The world wants us to be silent because the world wants us silent because we because they don't want us, because everything is against the gospel and the truth of Jesus Christ, right? 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:17.200 But the world will want us to want to silence us and want us to feel shame for the things that, for the truth that we want to bring. 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:33.039 And and they'll spin it around where maybe it's a topic about homosexuality or sin or feeling shame, and maybe that's the maybe it's a mantra of you shouldn't feel shame, you shouldn't feel guilt, you shouldn't, you shouldn't put that negativity on yourself. 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:34.640 And that is a lie. 00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:48.640 Because that is detracting us from the gospel of Jesus Christ, because the first step in the gospel is remembering that we, as Paul says, we all have sinned and all have fallen short of the glory of God. 00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:58.319 That means everyone in this room has missed the mark and and uh has earned eternal separation from Jesus. 00:30:58.960 --> 00:31:04.000 The world doesn't want that truth out, and the world wants to silence it. 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:08.400 The enemy wants it silenced, and our flesh wants to withdraw. 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:27.680 So, bottom line is uh let me and let me say, there is one, there's one guy, his name is Peter, and I would say that there's this guy, Peter, is gonna have a moment of shame coming up in uh after the pri just prior to the crucifixion. 00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:30.240 This is one of the better examples I can have. 00:31:31.279 --> 00:31:35.440 Is Peter restored after he denies Jesus three times? 00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:37.200 He's restored. 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:42.319 But it seems like he he's ashamed of Jesus and his word. 00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:44.880 I think I think that's an accurate statement. 00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:54.400 But he's restored by Jesus, Jesus himself, uh, and he goes on to be used by the Lord in so many ways. 00:31:55.200 --> 00:32:02.640 So this morning, as we look at, I mean, 34 is our is our our key verse. 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:08.480 If we're not willing to take up our cross, is it because we're feeling this shame? 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:09.519 But guess what? 00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:13.359 We shouldn't feel shame for feeling ashamed. 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:26.160 Because Jesus has offered us forgiveness for every bit of sin and every everything that we would do in our weakness to experience that shame. 00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:45.440 So bringing this around, the first step, this passage is a heavy passage because we're talking about costs that are that are really difficult difficult to say in some ways for some people. 00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:49.039 Difficult to say, yeah, sure, let me sign up for the cross. 00:32:49.440 --> 00:33:00.720 But the first step in getting there is to understand that all have fallen short of the glory of God and that we have all earned eternal separation from Jesus Christ. 00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:17.519 That means in the face of eternity, we have nothing ahead of us apart from Jesus Christ, but to spend eternal separation from everything that is good and everything uh uh about the Lord. 00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:21.359 But he offers us uh the free gift of salvation. 00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:44.799 This is like fundamental because if we don't get the gospel, uh we got to get to the gospel because where we're going is Jesus doesn't ask us to take up our cross, to deny ourselves in some uh in some uh process of of self-control and discipline. 00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:50.000 Where we're going with this is that he gives us so much more. 00:33:50.720 --> 00:33:52.960 But the first step is the gospel, right? 00:33:53.119 --> 00:34:09.679 So we're all given the opportunity to respond to the saving grace of Jesus Christ if we surrender our lives and say, I recognize I'm a sinner, I need Jesus Christ's blood from that cross to cover me and cover my sins that I ever did and ever will do. 00:34:13.679 --> 00:34:19.280 But if we're going to look at this, are you willing to take up your cross? 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:21.679 Am I willing to take up my cross? 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:24.639 Am I willing to deny myself? 00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:35.360 Paul says in in uh Romans, he says, the mind, uh, the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the spirit is life and peace. 00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:39.840 Or to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritual mind is life and peace. 00:34:40.400 --> 00:34:48.800 Uh Jesus, he also, Jesus says in John 14, I'm not gonna leave you orphans. 00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:50.639 I'm gonna send another helper. 00:34:50.719 --> 00:34:52.480 And what he's saying is, I'm not gonna leave you alone. 00:34:52.639 --> 00:35:02.000 When I leave, uh I'm gonna send you another helper, and that another helper is the Holy Spirit, the Alon Barakleton, the another helper of the same kind as me. 00:35:02.239 --> 00:35:16.800 And he does, and he sends in Acts, we see the sending of the Holy Spirit, and uh and we see that he sends us the Spirit to help us in uh, not just help us, but to be our power and to empower us. 00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:23.920 And so really what the question comes down to as we uh as we step back on the passage is how do I do this? 00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:30.159 It's one thing to say, take up your cross, and I can have a day where I feel like I don't feel like that. 00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:37.199 But it's important that we we don't worship the Lord in um, that we worship the Lord in spirit and truth, right? 00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:46.719 Which means that we say, I'm going to walk by, I'm going to walk by the truth that he's given me, and that is, he's given me the power and the resources. 00:35:46.960 --> 00:36:01.679 Not that he just gives them to me, but he puts his spirit when I when I give my life to Jesus Christ, he puts his spirit inside of me, and that's and by his spirit, he gives me the power to follow him and the boldness. 00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:06.159 Uh it's like Peter and the disciples praying in Acts. 00:36:06.320 --> 00:36:12.320 They pray for boldness because the world wants us, instead of taking up a cross, they want us to feel ashamed. 00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:16.960 They want to put us down, they want us to feel embarrassed and to cower. 00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:20.400 They want us to feel like this is not worth the cost. 00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:29.039 But if we're if we've given our life to Jesus Christ, he's given us his spirit, and that spirit is available to us. 00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:38.880 And then I'm going to go to Galatians because to me, I'm I I think as I step away, it's I uh I want to walk in the spirit. 00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:42.719 If I'm going to take up my cross, I need to walk in the spirit. 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:47.519 Um let me let me read from Galatians 5. 00:36:48.239 --> 00:37:00.239 Paul says, as he's speaking to the Galatians, I say then, walk by the spirit, and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh, for the flesh desires what is against the spirit, and the spirit desires what is against the flesh. 00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:04.400 They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want to do. 00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:21.519 If you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law, and the works of the flesh are obvious, and he goes on for an extended list, um, and he says, um morality, immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity. 00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:26.079 Um, and he says, Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:31.760 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. 00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:33.199 Gentle self-control. 00:37:33.360 --> 00:37:34.960 The law is not against such things. 00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:39.599 Now, those who are belonged to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:43.920 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step by the Spirit. 00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:52.719 Paul will say, in Galatians, later in Galatians, he'll say, uh, but as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:57.679 The world has been crucified to me through the cross and eye to the world. 00:37:57.840 --> 00:38:02.000 And again, just like Paul said uh to the Philippians, he has counted all as loss. 00:38:02.079 --> 00:38:04.239 He's crucified it as in he has killed it. 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:13.599 It is the world is dead to the world and its passions and pleasures and temporary contentment are dead to him, uh, and he is dead to it. 00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:37.519 Uh and and he's saying in Galatians, and what we can say here now is we may not have the desire, maybe we don't feel like it, but we can we can uh ask the Spirit to anoint us and fill us so that we can uh when we don't feel like taking up a cross, we might feel ashamed, we can ask him for boldness. 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:42.800 We can ask him to lead us and to change our desires and change our heart. 00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:56.159 Um but the cost is high, but God, the good news is that God has given us his son and his spirit to help us through when we uh when we are weak. 00:38:56.800 --> 00:39:02.400 Um the last verse here is really transitioning to the next part of the passage. 00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:10.639 Then he said to them, Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God in power. 00:39:10.880 --> 00:39:13.440 Uh we could probably spend another 20 minutes. 00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:28.960 But the the main thing as we wrap the passage up is he is he has gone from saying, the Son of Man, when he comes in his glory in the with uh comes in the glory of his father and his holy angels, and he immediately says, Uh, there are some here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. 00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:38.079 This could be the transfiguration, which happens to be verse 2 of the next passage. 00:39:38.800 --> 00:39:51.519 It could be other things like for a whole range of things, is this uh regarding the Holy Spirit, or is this um uh maybe about the resurrection? 00:39:51.599 --> 00:39:52.960 Because that would happen in their lifetime. 00:39:53.039 --> 00:40:16.639 And I think that where we're going in the passage as we transition is he's he's uh reminding us that Christ is coming in the glory of his Father, but we're about to transition, and next week we'll get into the transfiguration of uh Moses, of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah up there with the disciples, blown away as they see Jesus, a taste of Jesus. 00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:20.559 Um really, as he says, they will not taste death until they see the kingdom of that. 00:40:20.719 --> 00:40:23.519 They'll see Jesus in his glory for a moment. 00:40:24.000 --> 00:40:26.559 Um I think that's really pastor's going. 00:40:26.800 --> 00:40:33.679 But overall, uh we have the we have the opportunity to respond to Jesus. 00:40:33.840 --> 00:40:52.639 The cost is high, but we have the we have his spirit, and we can count that cost, but he's given us his spirit to uh and and his word to encourage us in the sacrifice that comes along with um with his cross and denying us denying our our self-interest in our flesh. 00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:55.679 So uh let me pray for us and we'll wrap up. 00:40:57.280 --> 00:40:59.360 Jesus, thank you so much for your word. 00:41:02.000 --> 00:41:12.559 Father, if there's anyone here who doesn't know you, I pray that you would soften their heart to uh your gospel. 00:41:14.400 --> 00:41:43.280 Father, for all of us as we read these verses, that you would help us to really reconcile what it means to deny ourselves, each of us in each of our lives, to take up our cross, what that means in this day in our and in our lives, what if there are things in our life, Father, that we are not denying and and that we are not uh, if there, if we're in ways not taking up our cross, Father, bring conviction. 00:41:43.840 --> 00:42:10.960 Father, I pray that your spirit would fill us, that we would not uh find or feel find ourselves or feel in shame, but that we would be in all boldness, um, preaching your word and your gospel and experiencing all that you have for us, uh, that pales in in comparison, Father, that all these things would pale in comparison, all the things of this world would pale in comparison to what you have for us and desire for our lives. 00:42:11.280 --> 00:42:21.679 We pray that you go before us, work your have your uh your word would would find its way into our hearts this week, that you would embolden us. 00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:25.760 Um thank you for our time together in Jesus' name, amen.