Determined

Mark 8:34b “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” [1]

I.   Deny

     A. Self

     B. Status

II. Decide

     A. Surrender

     B. Serve

III. Deliver

     A. Supply

     B. Save

Introduction:   Today we will continue the path to His passion which is the cross.  This is the second Sunday of Lent.

It has been pointed out to me lately that to serve others is not and never is to be accomplished on our own terms.  I would like to think that this is wrong.  Many who serve others are fooled into thinking that they can follow Jesus while they make up their own minds on how far they will go in Christian service.

Does this sound familiar?  Besides, God gives me the sense to know how to do things so when someone needs my help it only makes sense that they need my great wealth of knowledge and understanding.  I’m the person giving and the other person is in the role of receiving.  That must mean that I am the one who decides how I serve.

If you think that I am describing a person that is self-centered, you’re right.  Truth is, that person is me.  Truth is unless a person is truly a Christian, one who has really decided to follow Jesus; this is how we all reason how we serve others.

Jerry has been taking us through Job recently.  We have been hearing about that fellow Eliphaz who was a friend of Job.  We are quick to judge old Eliphaz in his mistreatment of his friend.  Job was the one who was down and out.  Eliphaz was there in position to offer support.  He hadn’t lost all of his stuff so apparently Eliphaz thought he was in the catbird seat.  When we see a person in need and we have the resources to help isn’t there that little impy voice that’s telling us, “I’m glad it’s not me?”

We can all fall into the trap of self-awareness so much that we forget that we are there to serve in the way that God has destined for us.  Nothing makes me more crazy than for someone to ask me to help them and then tell me how I should go about it.  That is exactly what we do to Jesus.

Our first inclination is to decide what help someone else needs instead of asking God what it is that He would have us to do.  That really is the story behind the story in the book of Job.  The three friends decided that they knew more about God’s will then Job and even God for that matter.  In the end they heard from God that they weren’t so smart after all and that Job would pray for their forgiveness.  After Job did pray, after he learned humility, God restored Job.

Today as we continue in this period of Lent towards Easter we will hear from Jesus what it means to serve in His name.  We will hear a great different story than what many imagine to be Christian service.  Jesus was The Humble Determined Deliverer.  We are to follow and not lead.

Scripture:  Today’s scripture is Mark 8”34b-35.  When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.

Prayer: Please be seated

Message:  The title of today’s message is “Determined.”  We will first hear about a man who was maybe more than determined.  You might say that Simon Peter was downright hardheaded.  This is from Matthew 16:16-19, “16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, rthe Son of sthe living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, tBlessed art thou, uSimon Bar-jona: for xflesh and blood hath not yrevealed it unto thee, but zmy Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art aPeter, and bupon this rock I will build my church; and cthe gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee dthe keys of the kingdom of heaven: and ewhatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” [2]

Don’t you imagine that Peter was thinking pretty highly of himself right about then?  Peter gave the awesome good response of who Jesus was and Jesus praised Peter highly.  Peter was the determined disciple.  So what happened next?

Let’s go back to Mark 8:31 “And yhe began to teach them, that the Son of man yymust suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” [3]

Now maybe just a few minutes after Jesus described what would happen to Him, Peter was no doubt still feeling pretty good about himself.  Peter heard Jesus describe the things that He was about to suffer.  Not on my watch!  I’ll beat the tar out of anybody that messes with my Lord!  Peter was a rough tough had enough sort of guy.  He felt that since he knew how to defend himself he was going to defend Jesus.

Mark’s gospel teaches that Peter took Jesus and rebuked Jesus for even thinking that anything could happen to Him while Peter was there to protect Him.  In Mark 8:33 Jesus turned the rebuke back to Peter yet He was not really talking to Peter.  Jesus said it Himself, “Get thee behind me Satan.”

We all have the possibility of allowing Satan to work through us even in instances when we feel the most determined and deliberate in our decisions.  Jesus was in the process of preparation of hearts.  He knew that the cross was coming and His disciples would reject Him.  He knew that their faith was about to be upended and He was giving them the sustenance that would carry them through the trials.  Satan does not want that.  He wants us to continue in our own ideas so that we will lose sight of Jesus and go back to finding security in false idols.

Whosoever will!  There is old “whosoever” again.  How are we “whosoevers” supposed to come after Him?  How do we “whosoevers” recognize that we are coming after Him?  By not going in front of Him!.  When we follow Him we will always see where He is and where we are supposed to go.

The first place time that Jesus came to this earth was in the form of a baby who totally depended on others for His needs.  Could Jesus have come here as the King of Kings that He is?  Yes!  Yet He was determined to deny his self and who he rightfully was.  Though He was, is and always will be God, Jesus accepted the status of a fatherless child in the world’s eyes.

I often enjoy falling back to my status that I had before.  It is probably seen by many as bragging about my past.  Jesus remembered where He came from but the only thing that He held over His head was that He was His Father’s Son.  He never tired of telling that truth but He insisted that He was only doing what His Father allowed.  He took no credit though He was due all credit.  In everything that Jesus did He denied Himself.  If that’s what He did and we “whosoevers” are to follow Him then we too must deny ourselves.

Jesus took up His own cross.  It was a deliberate determined act to surrender His earthly life for our good.  Though He had no sin, Jesus knew that others would perceive His action as admission of guilt.  It was not!  He had no guilt!  His service for us was limitless even to the end of His earthly life.

We hear and read so many things that Christians are suffering in this world today.  Our rights of worshipping God in our lives by adhering to the things that He teaches in His word are being taken away and we are being told to stifle ourselves.  Are we like Peter?  Do we believe that God is still God and will deliver us or do we believe that we must use force to take the ear of those who won’t hear.  Whether we take their ear like Peter did with the sword or not, the powers of this earth will not hear.  God only allows those to hear who decide to hear and we cannot force because He won’t.  Even in that we must follow and not lead Jesus.

Deny self is step one.  Step two is take up your own cross whatever that may be.  Follow me; that is step three.  Don’t just say the thing, do the thing.  Deliver on what you said you would do.  For better or for worse?  Maybe that’s why so few are taking the marriage vow now. 

If you are truly a Christian, that is little Christ, then deliver what you said you would do.  Walk behind Him wherever He takes you.  He will supply all that you need to follow Him even when the time comes that you must suffer for Him.

We certainly don’t want to suffer.  The purpose for most of our prayers is to eradicate suffering from the saints.  That is mostly what we ask of Him.  Did Jesus sidestep suffering?  Did Jesus sidestep dying to self?  Are we truly determined to follow Jesus?  Do we really understand what it is that He has saved us from and for?

We are to be the light in this fallen world even though it means that we must also suffer the rejection that He felt.  Oh but the resurrection!  Oh for the day that He leads us out of these tombs that we are in right now and don’t know it.  Oh happy day when Jesus saves.

Prayer:  Let us pray

Invitation:  So how do you know that you are following Jesus?  Jesus says that when you come after Him you will deny yourself.  Selfish wants will not be important anymore.  Jesus said that the person who comes after Him will take up the cross that has been given for that person. 

There was one there to help Jesus carry His cross and we have each other to help us as we carry ours but we will have our burdens to bear.  Jesus said that when these things come then we will follow Him.  To understand where we will go we must know and be willing to go where Jesus went.

That is what we must deliver to the world.  When we finally decide to follow Jesus then we who are determined to make decisions for Jesus will give up on our own aspirations and deliver our lives for the service of the gospel that will rescue the perishing.

We here in this place called Merry Oaks Baptist Church are those who have determined to follow Jesus.  We have shown the world that we are determined to meet together to support each other as He provides us safety in this place.

Sanctuary is not because of a building though, it is because He lives.  Jesus is, was, and always will be our place of safety in a world that will not continue.  One day He will make all things new and there will never be the old scary ideas that hold us hostage anymore.  Until He delivers us from this fallen world we are here to be little Christs for others to follow.  There is no greater purpose and there is no safer place than to be where Jesus is.

Let us be determined to follow Him as we sing…

 
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mk 8:34–35). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
r See ch. 14:33.
s ch. 26:63. John 6:69. See Josh. 3:10.
t See ch. 13:16.
u So John 1:42. & 21. 15, 16, 17.
x Ecclus. 14:18. 1 Cor. 15:50. Gal. 1:16. Heb. 2:14. So Eph. 6:12.
y 1 Cor. 2:10. Gal. 1:15, 16.
z See ch. 7:11.
a ch. 10:2. John 1:42.
b Eph. 2:20. Rev. 21:14.
c Isai. 38:10. See Job 38:17.
d Isai. 22:22. Rev. 3:7, rather than Rev. 1:18. & 9:1. & 20:1.
e ch. 18:18. John 20:23. Comp. 1 Cor. 5:4.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 16:16–19). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
y To ch. 9:1, Matt. 16:21–28. Luke 9:22–27.
yy Luke 17:25.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mk 8:31–33). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.