WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:07.060 I want to invite you to Mark 8 as we continue on this series together on the Genius of Jesus as we looked at the gospels and desire to know Christ as 00:00:07.180 --> 00:00:10.770 Christ desires to make himself known in our lives. 00:00:11.360 --> 00:00:18.740 And I want you to know as we go through this series that I think I told you this last week in case you weren't here for this, every week 00:00:18.740 --> 00:00:25.860 for me, each chapter's there's this welling up inside of me because I know what's ahead of us and it gets 00:00:25.860 --> 00:00:27.160 me so excited. 00:00:27.580 --> 00:00:34.540 I look at these sections, I'm like, okay, I'm going to preach today's message and next week's message, I'm pumped every, every week. 00:00:34.540 --> 00:00:37.920 It's me more jazz than, than the previous week. 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:41.760 Not to say that each chapter is important, I just feel like they build on one another. 00:00:42.020 --> 00:00:46.420 And so it just, it gets me excited about not only where we are today, but what's ahead. 00:00:46.800 --> 00:00:53.960 And when I think about context of scripture, passages of scripture that I think are important for me and I think our church family. 00:00:54.680 --> 00:01:01.740 Out of all the verses in the Bible, I say today, the section that we're looking at is one that is always on the forefront of my 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:02.160 mind. 00:01:02.160 --> 00:01:09.280 When I think about our church, I think about this section of scripture often and what God wants to do in us and through us and what God's capable 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:13.060 of doing in us and through us as we live our lives for him. 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:20.160 And so this passage to me is just a paramount portion of scripture that I love. 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:27.400 There's not a week, I don't think since we started our church that has gone by where I have not just meditated or thought on this section of the Bible. 00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:34.320 I noted within history in studying this book, this section is also important to another individual. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:41.860 In Mark chapter eight we're going to pick up in verse 27 but a man by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about this section too. 00:01:42.300 --> 00:01:49.300 And Dietrich Bonhoeffer just acknowledged in looking at this, that this section of scripture is actually found in all four gospels, which is rare. 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:53.820 For something to be found in all four gospels, Dietrich Bonhoeffer acknowledge it just must be significant. 00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:59.440 And for him to know that he must've spent some time studying this passage and this section must've been a lot to him. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:04.440 And when you look at that man's life and what he did for the Lord, it is incredible. 00:02:04.460 --> 00:02:08.430 I think he drew some inspiration, encouragement in the Lord from the section. 00:02:08.600 --> 00:02:11.840 Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a guy that lived during World War II. 00:02:12.220 --> 00:02:13.980 He traveled the world sharing about Jesus. 00:02:14.040 --> 00:02:15.020 He was from Germany. 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:17.150 He in fact came to the United States a few times. 00:02:17.580 --> 00:02:20.140 He actually loved the African American church. 00:02:20.380 --> 00:02:22.500 He would get it from Germany to the African American church, predominant churches. 00:02:22.660 --> 00:02:23.720 Cause he said they just knew how to worship. 00:02:24.220 --> 00:02:29.160 But he loved that and he got invited to be a pastor at a church in America. 00:02:29.420 --> 00:02:32.500 He, in fact, he turned it down to go back to Germany. 00:02:32.500 --> 00:02:35.860 And when he turned it down, war was looming. 00:02:35.860 --> 00:02:41.600 People knew if Bonhoeffer turn this down, returned to Germany, that was probably going to be the last time that anyone ever saw him again. 00:02:41.640 --> 00:02:42.360 In fact, it was. 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:47.980 He went back to Germany knowing they were about to face war and it could cost him his life as a Christian in Germany. 00:02:48.380 --> 00:02:50.020 And so Dietrich Bonhoeffer went there. 00:02:50.220 --> 00:02:54.540 He actually led a plot with other leaders in the government to try to take down Hitler. 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:59.460 The plot got discovered and Bonhoeffer was executed just a few weeks before World War II ended. 00:02:59.860 --> 00:03:06.180 But this man was bold in his faith in Christ and I think this passage of scripture was one that encouraged him. 00:03:06.180 --> 00:03:10.820 Just looking at some of the comments he made about this portion of the Bible. 00:03:12.140 --> 00:03:16.320 I just want to set up this section as we get through this. 00:03:16.660 --> 00:03:17.890 A part of me is a little bit torn. 00:03:17.980 --> 00:03:25.040 I want to be excited about this passage because this passage just roused me up in Christ and at the same time I want to be a little sober in what this passage 00:03:25.040 --> 00:03:32.620 says because what Jesus communicates to his followers is very shocking, very sobering and it's sort of a conscientious decision 00:03:32.620 --> 00:03:34.480 he's calling them to make. 00:03:34.900 --> 00:03:42.000 I want to approach that text from both of those points of view where we just see what God is capable of doing through his body of 00:03:42.040 --> 00:03:46.400 believers and the reality of what Jesus is saying in this section. 00:03:47.060 --> 00:03:47.820 But to kind of set it up. 00:03:47.820 --> 00:03:54.860 I want to ask you this question that's just simply to say, what might cause you 00:03:56.380 --> 00:03:58.400 to stop worshiping and serving the Lord? 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:04.180 Is there anything in life that you can think of that would lead you to that? 00:04:06.160 --> 00:04:13.100 If I were to ask it maybe in the context of this section, in other passages I think about in the Bible, maybe I'll ask it this way. 00:04:13.780 --> 00:04:14.620 What are you afraid of? 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:24.160 Sometimes the things that we tend to fear in life dictate the way that we respond and sometimes live our lives in light of that fear. 00:04:25.200 --> 00:04:30.420 Not so much in the boldness that Jesus calls us to, but to be more concerned with what other people think than what Jesus thinks. 00:04:31.880 --> 00:04:38.980 So when you asked the question, what might stop you from serving the Lord or worshiping him, I think the parallel question that's really, what are you afraid 00:04:38.980 --> 00:04:39.230 of? 00:04:41.180 --> 00:04:48.220 When you look in scripture, you see that the idea of fear and giving into fear was a constant statement made before the followers of 00:04:48.220 --> 00:04:48.460 Christ. 00:04:49.260 --> 00:04:57.080 In fact, you're hard pressed to just flip through books of the Bible and the New Testament and not find someone talking about boldness in the midst of adversity. 00:04:57.960 --> 00:04:59.570 And so fear was a constant discussion. 00:05:00.580 --> 00:05:04.980 I think fear can drag us away from following after Jesus in this world. 00:05:04.980 --> 00:05:12.360 When Paul wrote to Timothy, who was a young pastor trying to follow after Christ, he said this, for the spirit of God gave us, 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:17.760 does not make us timid or fearful, but gives us power, love, and self discipline. 00:05:18.860 --> 00:05:24.640 So rather than give into that fear, Paul wanted Timothy to focus on who he was in Jesus and what God gives to us. 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:29.180 And in 1 John 4:18 it says this, but perfect love drives out fear. 00:05:30.520 --> 00:05:31.760 Because fear has to do with punishment. 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:35.960 The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 00:05:37.140 --> 00:05:41.950 Hebrews 13:6, it says this, so we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper. 00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:43.590 I will not be afraid. 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:45.460 What can mere mortals do to me? 00:05:46.300 --> 00:05:51.640 Acts 18:9, one night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and said, do not be afraid. 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:53.230 Keep on speaking. 00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:54.700 Do not be silence. 00:05:56.760 --> 00:05:58.450 Fear is a motivator. 00:05:59.580 --> 00:06:07.050 Not necessarily a healthy or good one, but fear can motivate us to respond in ways that maybe God hasn't called us to. 00:06:08.200 --> 00:06:14.800 But what Lord tends to promote in our lives, you see this in the epistles, Paul writes, faith, hope and love. 00:06:16.400 --> 00:06:17.780 It's not about who you were. 00:06:17.780 --> 00:06:18.960 It's about who you are. 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:23.180 God takes care of our past that we can live in our present. 00:06:25.060 --> 00:06:26.650 God is a God of the future. 00:06:27.880 --> 00:06:30.260 Looking ahead where he compels us, where he calls us. 00:06:30.260 --> 00:06:33.260 In fact, in Philippians, Paul said this, I forget what lies behind. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.340 I press on to the upper calling, which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord. 00:06:37.620 --> 00:06:40.300 He shaped his identity in where Jesus wanted to lead him. 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:43.120 And not where the past wanted to hold him. 00:06:44.660 --> 00:06:49.220 When it comes to our Christian lives, we can tend to respond that way, and that's not healthy. 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:53.960 You can live your entire Christian life on defense, right? 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:57.700 All of the things that you don't want to do because you're afraid of messing up. 00:06:59.320 --> 00:07:06.260 But when Jesus talks about the body of believers in this world, he talks about being people who are light to the world. 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:11.380 Literally you are piercing the darkness because the power of Christ that rests in you. 00:07:12.140 --> 00:07:19.260 You think about passages of the Bible, "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." When the Bible is saying that, 00:07:19.340 --> 00:07:22.740 it's not saying that to like pastors or some super spiritual people. 00:07:23.820 --> 00:07:25.090 It's saying that about you. 00:07:26.340 --> 00:07:31.380 That's who you are in Jesus and that's the identity God calls you to live in. 00:07:32.220 --> 00:07:39.580 And so this section of scripture that God is reaching out to us and in Mark 8 today, he's sharing this scripture, having recognized 00:07:39.580 --> 00:07:41.210 everything that we've looked at together. 00:07:41.280 --> 00:07:48.540 Remember, Jesus has made this declaration of the kingdom and this demonstration, and this invitation and we've seen how the culture 00:07:48.540 --> 00:07:50.780 around Christ is changing religiously. 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:52.900 The government there, they're turning their backs on Jesus. 00:07:52.920 --> 00:07:56.440 In fact, the religious leaders have gone on record saying they want to kill Jesus. 00:07:57.760 --> 00:08:01.200 Now, how in the world are his disciples going to respond to that? 00:08:02.460 --> 00:08:08.780 And Jesus uses Mark 8 is sort of this positioning text to encourage us in this place. 00:08:10.640 --> 00:08:13.080 I'm reminded of a statement of General Patton. 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:17.800 In World war II, he was seen as a fearless leader. 00:08:18.100 --> 00:08:21.000 I've read a little bit about General Patton, some of the things that he did, he was insane. 00:08:22.520 --> 00:08:27.950 And some of the remarks I've read about soldiers in walking with him, just the boldness of this guy. 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:35.620 But it said at one point he was meeting with the military governor in Sicily and this governor was going on about how 00:08:35.620 --> 00:08:36.659 brave he was. 00:08:36.659 --> 00:08:38.929 And finally he just stopped and he said, I'm not a brave man. 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:40.600 In fact, I'm a coward. 00:08:41.580 --> 00:08:46.100 I've never been in a battle where a bullet didn't go off and my palms didn't instantly start sweating. 00:08:46.880 --> 00:08:53.900 But then he made this statement, he said, I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears. 00:08:56.380 --> 00:08:58.870 Because fears will lead you in a place God never called you. 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:02.900 Greater is he that is in you than he that's in the world. 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:11.790 God hasn't given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, self-discipline or a sound mind. 00:09:13.460 --> 00:09:20.560 And God wants his disciples to understand who they are in light of who he is 00:09:20.940 --> 00:09:26.660 so that they respond to this world as people that are difference makers and world changers. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:35.140 People that rather than cower in fear, live by faith in that it creates them to sacrifice and boldness for 00:09:35.140 --> 00:09:36.240 Christ. 00:09:36.680 --> 00:09:42.680 And so Mark 8, Jesus comes to this position of scripture and it really becomes a hinging point in the text. 00:09:43.940 --> 00:09:50.450 This book is 16 chapters long and the first eight chapters, Jesus has just laying out his identity. 00:09:50.920 --> 00:09:56.340 Who he is, because he knows in understanding who he is, we respond in that. 00:09:57.140 --> 00:10:01.040 Because some of the things God calls us to in this world are not going to be easy. 00:10:02.060 --> 00:10:04.120 To follow after Jesus isn't about easy. 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:06.340 It's about truth. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:08.460 It's about purpose. 00:10:10.160 --> 00:10:13.020 It's about his glory to our benefit. 00:10:15.660 --> 00:10:19.910 And so Jesus comes to this text as a hinge point and he starts to call us disciples. 00:10:20.020 --> 00:10:25.910 And what you're going to see in Mark 8 following on, from this point on, Jesus really gets more intimate with his disciples. 00:10:26.400 --> 00:10:33.420 He still speaks to the crowd but his messages are more tailored to those that have made the decision to take a step 00:10:33.420 --> 00:10:35.040 out of the line and follow after Christ. 00:10:37.540 --> 00:10:44.700 This is what he says, anticipating the struggles it says Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around 00:10:44.700 --> 00:10:46.600 Cesarea, Philippi and that's significant. 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:53.740 We'll talk about Cesarea and Phillipi in a moment, but on the way he asked them, who do people say I am? 00:10:55.400 --> 00:10:55.750 And they replied. 00:10:57.400 --> 00:11:01.230 Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah and still others, one of the prophets. 00:11:02.860 --> 00:11:04.660 But then he asked the more important question. 00:11:07.040 --> 00:11:08.120 Who do you say I am? 00:11:10.420 --> 00:11:11.260 Who cares what the world thinks. 00:11:13.800 --> 00:11:15.080 Everyone has an opinion on Jesus. 00:11:16.680 --> 00:11:23.720 We've said in this passage as we're going through the series together, people are important, but sometimes there comes 00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:25.700 a place where opinions just you need to shelf them. 00:11:27.400 --> 00:11:28.120 You need the truth. 00:11:29.680 --> 00:11:33.400 And we want to know Jesus as Jesus desires to make himself known, not who people say he is. 00:11:34.580 --> 00:11:41.120 Like this morning if I were to just put two leading religions in the world beside one another, Islam, Christianity. 00:11:42.220 --> 00:11:43.080 And we're to ask that question. 00:11:44.620 --> 00:11:46.720 Islam calls Jesus a prophet. 00:11:49.040 --> 00:11:52.530 Christianity calls him God come in the flesh who gave his life for you. 00:11:53.740 --> 00:11:56.660 They use the same name, but it's not the same person. 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:01.920 In one there's power and in the other it's fake. 00:12:04.040 --> 00:12:09.460 There's no need to trust in one of the two may not even need to trust an either if neither of them are true. 00:12:11.460 --> 00:12:13.480 But what is true is where we place our weight. 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:18.120 Because the truth is what sets us free, the Bible tells us. 00:12:18.920 --> 00:12:21.400 It's what upholds you. 00:12:21.540 --> 00:12:25.020 So Jesus asked this question, but who do you say that I am? 00:12:25.940 --> 00:12:32.010 So he's gotten to the place where he's declared it, he's demonstrated, he's invited it, and now it's saying, and now it's time for commitment. 00:12:33.640 --> 00:12:34.410 What are you trusting in? 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:39.180 Who do you say that I am? 00:12:39.940 --> 00:12:42.200 And Peter answered, you are the Messiah. 00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:46.220 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. 00:12:47.740 --> 00:12:50.680 We recognize, we said this a few times, why Jesus did this. 00:12:50.680 --> 00:12:51.580 Don't tell anyone about me. 00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:54.050 He said this a few times within the gospel and there's a few reasons. 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:56.160 One, because they had a misconception of what the Messiah was. 00:12:56.420 --> 00:13:00.520 We're actually going to see Peter has a misconception of what the Messiah was the next time he opens his mouth. 00:13:01.260 --> 00:13:04.160 But at least Peter understood that he was the one prophesied who would come. 00:13:04.180 --> 00:13:05.680 He was the Messiah, he was the anointed one. 00:13:05.940 --> 00:13:07.230 He was the deliverer, the rescuer. 00:13:07.680 --> 00:13:09.160 Peter understood this about Jesus. 00:13:10.180 --> 00:13:13.800 And so he's placing his faith in that and making that statement about Christ. 00:13:13.900 --> 00:13:15.340 But Jesus says, don't tell anyone. 00:13:15.340 --> 00:13:17.840 I think the reason Jesus in this passage tells him not to tell anyone. 00:13:18.100 --> 00:13:23.160 One because of the misconception and two, because now the environment has changed against Jesus. 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:31.620 And people are starting to pursue his life and Jesus wants to spend very intentional time with his disciples in order to teach them 00:13:31.750 --> 00:13:34.640 about who he is and what it means to pursue them with his life. 00:13:36.140 --> 00:13:43.200 And I told you this passages in multiple gospels, in all four gospels, this section of scripture, it's not always necessarily described the same 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:45.590 way, but the section is in the four gospels. 00:13:45.940 --> 00:13:51.920 In Matthew, this is probably the area in the sections that I meditate the most when I think about our church. 00:13:52.940 --> 00:13:56.500 But in Peter's statement in Matthew 16 here's where Peter says who Jesus says. 00:13:56.500 --> 00:13:59.740 He says, Simon Peter answered him, you are the Messiah, the son of the living God. 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:03.560 And Jesus replied, blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:08.100 For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my father in heaven. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:09.540 And I tell you that you are Peter. 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:12.340 So this is where Peter gets his name, in this statement of faith. 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:17.820 And on this rock, I will build my church and the Gates of Hades will not overcome it. 00:14:19.820 --> 00:14:27.020 Jesus wants them to understand their identity as it relates to him, because that has to do with everything that we're capable 00:14:27.020 --> 00:14:27.660 of as his people. 00:14:29.040 --> 00:14:31.770 And so what Jesus says about his church here is profound. 00:14:33.560 --> 00:14:34.400 He's going to build it. 00:14:34.400 --> 00:14:35.420 Christ is building it. 00:14:35.680 --> 00:14:39.630 Not even the Gates of hell are going to prevail against it. 00:14:40.640 --> 00:14:41.160 What does this mean? 00:14:43.420 --> 00:14:44.980 Jesus has a practical teacher. 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:50.780 We've said when Jesus was with fishermen, he used fishing illustrations. 00:14:51.020 --> 00:14:52.440 I follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:58.080 In a agricultural society, when he was with farmers, he would use farming illustration. 00:14:58.980 --> 00:15:00.800 Plant the seed and God causes the increase. 00:15:02.640 --> 00:15:09.750 God used the environment around him in order to teach the people very practically who he was, and why he came. 00:15:11.520 --> 00:15:17.010 On this particular moment their at Cesarea, Philippi, outside of the Jewish area, more in a Gentile area. 00:15:18.540 --> 00:15:19.580 In Cesarea Phillip. 00:15:19.660 --> 00:15:23.080 I had this particular place in the back of the city in which people would go to worship. 00:15:23.160 --> 00:15:25.440 It was a temple dedicated to Pan. 00:15:27.140 --> 00:15:32.060 Inside of the temple the people would participate in types of worship that you would all be embarrassed to see. 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:34.280 At least I hope. 00:15:36.160 --> 00:15:40.140 It was a form of worship that would just be considered maybe in our eyes, some sort of debauchery. 00:15:40.140 --> 00:15:40.420 It was idolatry. 00:15:41.560 --> 00:15:46.320 And they would participate in worship here, especially during a time of the year when the spring would take place. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:52.180 Because in the spring there was this crack in this temple that was built inside of a cave. 00:15:52.180 --> 00:15:54.810 In fact, I have a picture of it for you on the screen. 00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:57.260 They would go into this temple. 00:15:57.280 --> 00:15:58.620 There was this crack in the ground. 00:15:58.640 --> 00:16:01.760 They referred to that crack in the ground literally as the gate of hell. 00:16:03.420 --> 00:16:08.420 And in the spring, water would begin to flow out of this crack and people would worship. 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:14.300 As it happened, they thought their worship inspired the gods to give them the water that would feed the people. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:18.080 And so they would worship in different forms within this temple and celebrating. 00:16:18.100 --> 00:16:25.320 And Jesus is walking with his disciples and in a very practical way that transpires for us today 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:30.720 and in a larger sense, in a practical way, he looks to his disciples and says, you see all the people in the city there. 00:16:32.300 --> 00:16:34.980 Do you see the hundreds if not thousands that have gathered to worship? 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:43.140 Do you see how large this looks and what force this looks and how powerful it is. 00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:50.880 I'm going to build my church and nothing will stop it. 00:16:53.620 --> 00:16:56.660 In fact, you're going to triumph even over the Gates of Hades. 00:16:59.400 --> 00:17:05.800 Those people that are worshiping a temple dedicated to demonic worship. 00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:15.660 The power that I give, the one that I used to build my church, the 00:17:15.660 --> 00:17:20.569 one that's built on my name, you will defeat it in me. 00:17:22.760 --> 00:17:26.530 Jesus says in the passage, I will build my church. 00:17:28.099 --> 00:17:35.200 And so we acknowledge whatever Jesus calls us to in the world in this world, it's not by our capabilities, but it's the power of his spirit 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:36.950 that works through us to see it accomplished. 00:17:38.340 --> 00:17:39.920 Could you imagine being these disciples? 00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:48.540 First century group of ragtag, middle-class, hardworking guys and they're looking at 00:17:48.540 --> 00:17:55.870 this just elaborately built that would've taken years to accomplish, I think in what are you talking about? 00:17:57.840 --> 00:18:04.960 Even in your own life, you think about the power of God and what it does in us, how it 00:18:05.080 --> 00:18:06.040 transforms us. 00:18:06.840 --> 00:18:10.940 You could see this statement, Jesus makes in a very specific sense, in a very broad sense. 00:18:11.560 --> 00:18:13.180 In our own lives, we all fight battles. 00:18:16.780 --> 00:18:19.260 Not even the Gates of hell will be successful for you. 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:28.160 In a very large sense God calls his people group all over the world, different times, different places, different eras to be a light that 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:29.220 pierces the darkness. 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:37.400 And when God's people gather, the power of the Lord that works within us, not even the gates of hell will prevail against 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:37.560 it. 00:18:39.700 --> 00:18:47.100 In fact, when God gives this statement to Peter, he 00:18:47.100 --> 00:18:48.660 says, Simon, that's his name. 00:18:49.660 --> 00:18:57.680 But based on your profession of my identity of me being the Messiah, you 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:01.760 become Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. 00:19:02.460 --> 00:19:09.840 So what he's saying is, Peter, Petrus, little rock upon your profession of faith in me, 00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:12.800 the big rock, I will build my church. 00:19:14.120 --> 00:19:20.980 The capability of who you are in my identity gives you the power to do everything that I'm talking about. 00:19:22.860 --> 00:19:23.920 I just hope to God in my life. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:25.170 I'm dumb enough to believe it. 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:29.080 God, let me trust in this. 00:19:30.620 --> 00:19:31.960 God, when it is easy to give in to fear. 00:19:32.540 --> 00:19:39.540 God, when it's easy to take convenience when I see that you call me to sacrifice, let me see the goodness of who you are in 00:19:39.540 --> 00:19:43.540 the capability of your power resting in me above all of those circumstances. 00:19:45.500 --> 00:19:52.520 When we talk about storming down the gates of hell, no matter how fearful that may be, God, let me see 00:19:52.520 --> 00:19:54.620 your power greater than all of it. 00:19:56.160 --> 00:20:03.200 And so when Peter thinks about this moment, this is what he records for us in 1 Peter, he says this, as you come to him, the living 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:09.180 stone, the great rock, rejected by humans, but chosen by God and precious to him. 00:20:09.180 --> 00:20:16.200 Look, you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a 00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:20.480 Holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 00:20:21.020 --> 00:20:24.470 So this is what I say this morning when it talks about the power of God resting in us. 00:20:24.520 --> 00:20:26.130 It's not specific to Peter. 00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:29.380 It's not some spiritual warrior that's beyond all of our abilities. 00:20:29.620 --> 00:20:32.380 God's talking about the regular follower of Jesus. 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:35.240 Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. 00:20:35.360 --> 00:20:36.260 That is all of us. 00:20:38.120 --> 00:20:45.240 And so then Peter says this: in his churches, identity, God's people, these stones being built 00:20:45.240 --> 00:20:52.260 up, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession that 00:20:52.260 --> 00:20:54.640 you may declare the praises of him. 00:20:54.640 --> 00:21:02.800 Look who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light Once you are not a people, but 00:21:02.840 --> 00:21:05.920 now you are the people of God. 00:21:06.080 --> 00:21:14.160 Once you had not received mercy, but now because of Jesus, you have received mercy. 00:21:17.180 --> 00:21:17.580 You are gates stormers. 00:21:20.560 --> 00:21:24.620 It's as if in a abroad analogy. 00:21:26.420 --> 00:21:30.400 What he's saying is God's people, the church, not the building. 00:21:30.500 --> 00:21:32.820 The people are on mission. 00:21:34.800 --> 00:21:42.740 And when you think about the conquest, we don't fight against flesh and blood that's what Paul tells us in Ephesians, we don't fight against flesh and blood, but 00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:45.520 against principalities and powers, against spiritual forces of darkness. 00:21:47.080 --> 00:21:49.220 You are called as light to pierce the darkness. 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:58.740 When you think about the way he's describing this, and in Jesus's day, if a people group wanted to be protected, they would wall the city 00:21:58.980 --> 00:21:59.480 where they lived. 00:22:00.380 --> 00:22:05.260 Jerusalem is built this way If the people want it to be safe they would go behind the wall in order to be protected. 00:22:06.300 --> 00:22:07.690 The wall was considered impenetrable. 00:22:09.120 --> 00:22:16.360 And so when he's describing hell, it gives the idea that there is this impenetrable forest with these Gates that are strong and 00:22:16.360 --> 00:22:16.960 solid. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:24.140 And when he talks about the church, he's saying the power within the churches is so capable of going to these walls and just 00:22:24.140 --> 00:22:25.380 destroying them. 00:22:28.080 --> 00:22:33.930 I don't know about you, but I don't even think it had to be the Gates of hell. 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:37.300 Like if you just told me we're going to have a demo day, whatever it is, I like to see stuff blow up. 00:22:38.140 --> 00:22:42.540 Like when we knocked down the house out back, I was here videotaping that. 00:22:42.760 --> 00:22:44.300 Destruction is cool. 00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:46.030 One of my favorite holidays, 4th of July. 00:22:46.560 --> 00:22:48.000 Independence is a great part of that. 00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:51.230 But the selfish part is seeing things blow up. 00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:53.700 I love the 4th the July. 00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:56.580 If you're there wanting to destroy things, invite me. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:58.120 It sounds cool, right? 00:22:58.120 --> 00:22:59.320 Let me storming down the gates. 00:22:59.460 --> 00:23:00.640 You'll have to tell me what it is. 00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:02.400 Let's storm it down, unless we go to jail. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:02.990 I don't want to do that. 00:23:03.320 --> 00:23:06.700 But, gate storing, yes, I'm with you. 00:23:08.460 --> 00:23:12.660 Have you considered the question, for what? 00:23:14.620 --> 00:23:16.100 Are we just blowing things up to blow things up? 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:17.520 Why are we slowing down the gates? 00:23:20.760 --> 00:23:21.580 What's behind the gates? 00:23:24.560 --> 00:23:25.200 Do you know why the church exists? 00:23:28.340 --> 00:23:31.500 I've heard it said the church is the only organization that does not exist for itself. 00:23:34.260 --> 00:23:35.020 God calls us on mission. 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:41.440 Go into the world, make disciples, preach the gospel, baptize the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:23:43.040 --> 00:23:46.500 If all Jesus wanted to do was save you minute, you trusted in Christ, he'd take you out of the world. 00:23:48.420 --> 00:23:49.480 God calls you to pierce the darkness. 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:53.900 To be a light for him in this world that we live in. 00:23:56.180 --> 00:23:58.940 Sometimes as a church, when I see those things, I want to be a little careful. 00:23:59.260 --> 00:24:00.740 Let me just share a few things why. 00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:08.270 There's a philosophy in Christianity today that wants to make the church for the unchurched. 00:24:08.320 --> 00:24:12.080 And there is different things where I hear those, I just walk cautiously. 00:24:12.360 --> 00:24:18.180 Because that's what I think, when the church gathers, the church gathers for the body of believers. 00:24:20.220 --> 00:24:21.400 We gather as a rally point. 00:24:24.620 --> 00:24:28.180 For our culture, Sunday is a day we open our spiritual ears to hear. 00:24:28.180 --> 00:24:32.180 And so when we gather as God's people, when we gather as the church, it's our rally cry. 00:24:32.180 --> 00:24:33.720 It's to encourage each other. 00:24:33.840 --> 00:24:37.880 It's to get us just inspired in Jesus and pursuing him with our whole heart. 00:24:37.900 --> 00:24:39.740 So when we go out from here, we're light for him. 00:24:40.620 --> 00:24:47.640 Now that doesn't mean when someone that doesn't have Jesus comes into a church that we just ignore that in fact, in the body of Christ, the best place to learn how to treat 00:24:47.640 --> 00:24:49.700 people is when we gather on Sunday. 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:54.600 And so we love on anyone that comes through our doors at any time because every soul to Jesus is important to him. 00:24:54.780 --> 00:24:57.770 When we gather as a church, it's to mobilize the church to be a light for Christ. 00:24:57.860 --> 00:25:03.450 And here's where the danger comes: is that sometimes the church has a tendency to become just program oriented. 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:08.460 When we become program oriented, the problem becomes this. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:14.950 We gather on Sunday, we see what Jesus does, our lives transformed and we started asking the question, okay, now what can I do for Jesus? 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:18.900 And so we start thinking about each other and that's a good thing. 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:23.000 But sometimes we think about each other so much it's to the detriment of the outside world. 00:25:24.340 --> 00:25:31.480 We become a fortress to ourselves and we start creating program after program to serve one another and we stop reaching what's beyond our walls. 00:25:32.040 --> 00:25:35.240 And when we start thinking about serving, we even eventually start thinking about the building. 00:25:36.440 --> 00:25:43.520 But if you look at the text of scripture, what the Bible calls us to is to gather as a body of believers to encourage each other, to see each other transformed the life of Christ, to go out into the world, to be 00:25:43.520 --> 00:25:43.960 a light. 00:25:45.760 --> 00:25:51.000 When can we go beyond these walls, we think about ministry, the primary thought within our mind is how can I reach my neighborhood? 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:53.330 How can I love on my friends, my family? 00:25:53.600 --> 00:25:54.340 What can I do for Jesus? 00:25:54.980 --> 00:26:00.040 Let Jesus transform me so that when I walk with Christ, it becomes a natural outflowing of my life. 00:26:00.040 --> 00:26:04.660 And I don't just internalize it in the community that already knows Jesus, but I share it with the world. 00:26:06.460 --> 00:26:08.200 And so we talk about storming down the gates of hell. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:11.370 And we asked the question, what's on the other side of the gates? 00:26:14.460 --> 00:26:17.420 It's people. 00:26:18.440 --> 00:26:22.640 Ministry exists for people. 00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:26.960 Ministry is not an end in itself. 00:26:28.900 --> 00:26:29.860 It's a means to an end. 00:26:32.120 --> 00:26:37.160 Ministry exists for the glory of God to the benefit of people. 00:26:39.580 --> 00:26:46.680 Ministry rests in the power of God who builds his church to be light in this world, to storm 00:26:46.680 --> 00:26:52.400 down the gates as living stones, which Peter says, and it's not just one person. 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:53.120 It's all of us. 00:26:54.800 --> 00:26:56.840 All of us gifted in God. 00:26:58.320 --> 00:27:01.200 And the way you interact with people becomes significant. 00:27:03.620 --> 00:27:09.280 Because when you storm down the gates, you want to love on those hearts. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:16.340 That's what I think so much of scripture has to do with how we interact with people. 00:27:19.370 --> 00:27:26.120 Paul says 1 Corinthians 9, I become all things to all people for the sake of the gospel. 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:33.800 He's saying, I'm meet them right where they are and I love him as they are, as Jesus called me to love so I can share the goodness of who he is with them. 00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:35.740 As it transformed my life, it can transform their's. 00:27:37.300 --> 00:27:41.580 That's why Paul says in Ephesians 4:15, share the truth in love. 00:27:43.120 --> 00:27:47.160 It's why Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15, share the truth with gentleness and reverence. 00:27:48.680 --> 00:27:52.040 That's why Paul says in Titus 3, remember who you were before Christ. 00:27:54.200 --> 00:28:00.100 You need to remember in your life what it took for Jesus to truly love you where you were before you came to know him. 00:28:01.360 --> 00:28:06.560 Because that compassion to love you as a sinner is the same compassion God calls you to use as you love on this world. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:12.600 And so Jesus wants us to shape our identity in him. 00:28:14.380 --> 00:28:19.540 Can you imagine just defeating the forces that he's talking about in this passage? 00:28:19.540 --> 00:28:21.820 It's like answering the question, what is the secret? 00:28:26.760 --> 00:28:27.560 Then Jesus shares. 00:28:29.780 --> 00:28:33.550 Mark 8, after Peter did so good, you're the Messiah. 00:28:34.300 --> 00:28:35.220 Peter, you're a rock. 00:28:35.520 --> 00:28:36.520 Yes, I am. 00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:44.360 And then he says this, he then began to teach them that the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the teachers 00:28:44.360 --> 00:28:46.860 of the law, and that he must be killed. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.460 And after three days rise again. 00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:51.760 And he spoke plainly about this. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:53.320 It's like, I really need you to get this. 00:28:54.440 --> 00:28:57.340 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 00:28:58.040 --> 00:28:58.900 That's never a good idea. 00:28:59.320 --> 00:29:02.080 Never, never tell Jesus what to do right? 00:29:02.380 --> 00:29:03.180 So he rebukes him. 00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:08.340 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter, get behind me, Satan. 00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:13.960 And he said, you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. 00:29:15.380 --> 00:29:16.100 That's got to feel great. 00:29:17.820 --> 00:29:20.380 One minute you're the rock, the next minute you're the devil. 00:29:22.100 --> 00:29:29.600 One of the ways that you just see the truth of scripture communicated as the candidness of the people pursuing Jesus and these guys 00:29:29.600 --> 00:29:31.040 did not hide their sin. 00:29:31.700 --> 00:29:32.660 I'm messed up. 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:35.820 Just want you to know that the whole point of this is Jesus. 00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:39.110 It has nothing to do with me, and that's Peter sharing in this passage. 00:29:39.360 --> 00:29:43.100 And Peter is the one that shared this with Mark and Mark's the one that recorded the gospel. 00:29:43.100 --> 00:29:50.120 He's like, all right, people really need to see you know how fallible I am because anything that happens through me, it's definitely the 00:29:50.120 --> 00:29:55.000 power of God and I was just foolish enough to believe in it and trust in it and live my life that way. 00:29:56.440 --> 00:30:00.840 And so what Jesus is saying, listen, you gates stormers, shape your identity in this. 00:30:01.080 --> 00:30:06.880 I want you to understand what's capable of happening through the power that works in you because of what I've done. 00:30:07.080 --> 00:30:11.320 And then he's saying this verse, in this section, his sufficiency. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:16.040 That the only reason this is able to happen is because of my death. 00:30:17.600 --> 00:30:24.940 It's me taking your place in your sin when you should not have received mercy, now you receive 00:30:24.940 --> 00:30:26.140 mercy in me. 00:30:26.940 --> 00:30:27.600 Peter didn't like this. 00:30:28.660 --> 00:30:30.940 This is where Peter gets the idea of what the Messiah is wrong. 00:30:31.520 --> 00:30:36.050 He understood the Messiah was to come, but he carried the same concept that the Jewish mentality was at the time. 00:30:36.120 --> 00:30:37.280 Messiah would come. 00:30:37.280 --> 00:30:40.220 Messiah was set up his kingdom, Messiah would end suffering. 00:30:40.220 --> 00:30:41.780 You're not supposed to be suffering. 00:30:41.940 --> 00:30:43.100 You're ending the suffering. 00:30:43.220 --> 00:30:44.360 That's why I'm walking with you. 00:30:46.880 --> 00:30:50.860 And so Peter's learning something about the identity of the Messiah in this. 00:30:50.860 --> 00:30:57.980 But when you see the statement of who Jesus is within scripture, the identity of Christ as he was to come, the Bible tells us in the Old Testament, they 00:30:57.980 --> 00:31:00.580 were to take a lamb to the temple and make a sacrifice. 00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:03.960 We're going to see how Jesus followed the footsteps of a lamb towards the end of Mark. 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:05.770 But this lamb was to be a sacrifice. 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:12.140 And when John the Baptist pronounces the coming of Jesus, he says, behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 00:31:13.040 --> 00:31:16.980 That lamb, when it was sacrificed in the temple, it gave its life. 00:31:18.620 --> 00:31:20.960 Jesus as he sacrifice for sin. 00:31:21.240 --> 00:31:22.120 He gives his life. 00:31:22.120 --> 00:31:24.490 The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death. 00:31:24.660 --> 00:31:30.920 And so therefore to eradicate sin, to destroy sin, Jesus then gives his life for us in sin. 00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:38.080 And so he is separated from the Father and the Bible tells us he who knew no sin became sin on our behalf, that we might become the 00:31:38.080 --> 00:31:40.880 righteousness of God in him. 00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:42.140 2 Corinthians 5:21. 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:51.480 In fact, the cross for us becomes the very symbol of 00:31:51.480 --> 00:31:53.660 the power of God through which we become gate stormers. 00:31:55.970 --> 00:32:03.080 That's why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:18, the preaching of the cross is to them 00:32:03.080 --> 00:32:09.760 that perish foolishness, but to us who are saved, it is the power of God. 00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:15.060 And Jesus is spending this intimate time with his disciples. 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:21.260 You're going to see this in chapter eight, chapter nine and chapter 10, that Jesus spends this intimate teaching with his disciples. 00:32:21.260 --> 00:32:22.660 And what happens in each of those chapters? 00:32:22.820 --> 00:32:29.920 Jesus makes a statement, the disciples acknowledged something ignorant and then Jesus corrects them and what it means to really be a follower 00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:30.400 of him. 00:32:31.900 --> 00:32:39.020 And when it comes to the cross, you see Jesus now communicating that his death is 00:32:39.020 --> 00:32:42.940 the way to life for us and that life carries power. 00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:48.040 And so Jesus then makes this statement that is so sobering in the first century. 00:32:50.060 --> 00:32:57.060 I think today, sometimes we might read passages like this and just acknowledge exactly what Christ is going to say in a 21st century mind 00:32:57.060 --> 00:33:03.120 where this statement has been beautified in a way that they would've never seen it like this in the first century. 00:33:03.300 --> 00:33:03.950 But this is what Jesus says. 00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:13.480 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, whoever wants to be my 00:33:13.480 --> 00:33:20.940 disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and 00:33:21.080 --> 00:33:21.380 follow me. 00:33:27.320 --> 00:33:34.690 You think about the cross in the first century, it tells us whoever dies on the cross in Galatians, 00:33:35.060 --> 00:33:35.480 they're cursed. 00:33:38.220 --> 00:33:39.320 Dying on the cross was shameful. 00:33:41.080 --> 00:33:45.840 You oftentimes hung there for days, totally exposed to the elements, nude. 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:47.840 People spat on you. 00:33:48.660 --> 00:33:50.470 Threw things at you, cursed at you. 00:33:51.740 --> 00:33:52.170 You were despised. 00:33:55.120 --> 00:33:58.080 This was not the glorifying cross that we think of in the 21st century. 00:33:58.720 --> 00:33:59.710 You know the one you wear for fashion. 00:34:00.620 --> 00:34:01.600 I am not against the cross. 00:34:01.600 --> 00:34:02.360 I'm wearing the cross. 00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:05.580 I'll tell you why in a second, but it's totally a different concept. 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:09.620 It would've blew their minds to have Jesus saying this. 00:34:10.900 --> 00:34:11.690 Take up a cross? 00:34:14.940 --> 00:34:15.060 Why? 00:34:20.260 --> 00:34:22.409 What would cause you to sacrifice like that? 00:34:24.440 --> 00:34:27.080 I mean, this wasn't just an embarrassment to the individual that would die on the cross. 00:34:27.159 --> 00:34:30.520 It would become an embarrassment to the family of the person who died on the cross. 00:34:32.020 --> 00:34:34.460 Peter ended up giving his life on the cross. 00:34:34.500 --> 00:34:38.800 In fact, he felt he was so unworthy to die on the cross, he asked that he would be crucified upside down. 00:34:40.600 --> 00:34:41.420 Why? 00:34:43.820 --> 00:34:45.900 What does a person really got to believe in order to do that? 00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:49.280 I think Jesus has shared it with the disciples. 00:34:51.340 --> 00:34:56.380 When they've got to really see the victory, they've got to see the victory they have in Jesus. 00:34:58.260 --> 00:35:00.160 Jesus has defeated sin, Satan and death. 00:35:01.640 --> 00:35:04.480 You pierced the darkness because Jesus has already won the victory. 00:35:07.720 --> 00:35:09.520 And then Jesus shares with Peter his sufficiency. 00:35:11.940 --> 00:35:18.960 Before you're ever going to trust in Jesus to such a degree, you need to know you're a warrior that's already one and Jesus is sufficient to supply everything that 00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:19.840 is promised you. 00:35:20.860 --> 00:35:23.360 There is no way you're ever going to trust like this. 00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:26.340 And that's what Jesus has done in the first eight chapters. 00:35:28.080 --> 00:35:36.380 He's calling us to a place of commitment here, having demonstrated what he's declared in the first eight chapters so that when he declares who 00:35:36.380 --> 00:35:40.660 he is, we see the ability to trust in him because he's demonstrated it with his life. 00:35:42.520 --> 00:35:44.100 And so he says, take up your cross. 00:35:46.600 --> 00:35:47.980 Take up your cross. 00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:57.000 To maybe put a thought in our minds that would place a comparison you think in American history, slavery was a horrible thing that 00:35:57.060 --> 00:35:57.540 took place. 00:35:58.260 --> 00:36:00.580 It would be like a slave carrying around maybe a whip. 00:36:02.260 --> 00:36:02.880 Why? 00:36:05.380 --> 00:36:06.300 Why would you glory in that? 00:36:07.200 --> 00:36:11.880 Or maybe in Nazi Germany, a Jewish person deciding to wear a gas chamber. 00:36:14.240 --> 00:36:18.040 Why? 00:36:20.260 --> 00:36:25.600 When we think about wearing the cross for us as believers today, I think the cross is very symbolic. 00:36:28.240 --> 00:36:33.040 I think it would not be so far as to say it would be something I would be liking to a wedding ring. 00:36:35.460 --> 00:36:38.590 You think about what it represents in Jesus's love for you. 00:36:40.180 --> 00:36:47.280 What Jesus did for you, how Jesus gave his life for you, and then you think about a passage like this 00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:51.400 where it calls you in response to him to take up your cross in love. 00:36:52.360 --> 00:36:59.480 And so the cross that Christianity bears in this world, it means the ultimate love of God displayed on us, but it can be reminder 00:36:59.480 --> 00:37:03.980 to all of us of the cross that we pick up in love and response to Jesus himself. 00:37:06.260 --> 00:37:06.840 Like the wedding ring. 00:37:09.600 --> 00:37:10.980 It's a symbol of full devotion. 00:37:13.500 --> 00:37:15.520 All that I am for all that you are. 00:37:17.100 --> 00:37:24.380 The Bible tells us in Genesis when he created the husband and wife to become one flesh where you can't even tell where one begins and the other one ends. 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:27.940 And Jesus is calling us to that intimacy in him. 00:37:27.940 --> 00:37:31.950 In fact, he calls our relationship to him, he compares it to the marital relationship. 00:37:34.300 --> 00:37:39.420 And so this cross becomes a symbol of God's love for us, but our love and response back to him. 00:37:41.020 --> 00:37:45.380 You know what it means to be devoted in relationship. 00:37:46.540 --> 00:37:53.660 In fact, in your relationship, if you want to experience intimacy, the intimacy goes deeper 00:37:53.660 --> 00:37:56.560 as your devotion for one another goes deeper. 00:37:58.020 --> 00:38:00.120 Nobody wants to experience this in a relationship. 00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:06.180 I want to give all that I am for you, and then the spouse responds, "Eh. 00:38:08.040 --> 00:38:10.160 Whatever." You'd be like, are you kidding me? 00:38:10.660 --> 00:38:13.040 Where is the intimacy in that? 00:38:13.040 --> 00:38:14.240 Where's the enjoyment in that? 00:38:14.380 --> 00:38:16.360 You're not going to have it and you're not going to enjoy it. 00:38:18.500 --> 00:38:21.520 Half-hearted devotion does not produce healthy, intimate relationship. 00:38:24.540 --> 00:38:31.620 It's the giving of yourself, the laying down of your life that you experience 00:38:31.620 --> 00:38:36.950 the full devotion in what you're called to and the intimacy of that relationship. 00:38:37.200 --> 00:38:39.230 And that's what Jesus is saying in this passage. 00:38:41.040 --> 00:38:43.940 Can I tell you that probably some of the most unhealthy people in the world? 00:38:47.860 --> 00:38:51.680 It's half-hearted Christians. 00:38:52.300 --> 00:38:55.320 It's half-hearted followers of Jesus. 00:38:57.400 --> 00:39:00.340 Foot half in the world, foot half in Christ. 00:39:02.760 --> 00:39:04.200 That's not where he's called you to be. 00:39:05.420 --> 00:39:11.650 The Bible says that sin is fun for a season and then it also calls us to walk in the spirit. 00:39:12.160 --> 00:39:14.860 You think about this, the Bible says since fun for season. 00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:18.680 If you're not going to follow Jesus, you not going to give him your life, at least sin is fun. 00:39:20.540 --> 00:39:27.720 But then when you walk in the Spirit, as Galatians calls us through the reason we were created in Christ, it says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 00:39:27.800 --> 00:39:28.140 gentleness. 00:39:28.440 --> 00:39:31.420 Not half walking in the Spirit, not sort of devoted to Christ. 00:39:31.880 --> 00:39:33.430 What we call that as an oxymoron. 00:39:35.520 --> 00:39:36.520 Or a moron, I'm just kidding. 00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:37.700 Oxymoron. 00:39:37.800 --> 00:39:39.180 You have you heard the term, right? 00:39:39.180 --> 00:39:40.240 It's like jumbo shrimp. 00:39:41.080 --> 00:39:42.480 That's not a thing. 00:39:42.480 --> 00:39:43.620 That should not be a thing. 00:39:43.980 --> 00:39:45.120 It is a thing, but it shouldn't be. 00:39:45.300 --> 00:39:46.500 Or act natural. 00:39:47.460 --> 00:39:48.560 If it's natural, why you acting? 00:39:49.560 --> 00:39:51.460 Or Microsoft works? 00:39:52.380 --> 00:39:53.780 Unless windows has an update. 00:39:54.940 --> 00:39:56.150 Or government efficiency? 00:39:57.180 --> 00:39:57.680 It's never happened. 00:39:59.100 --> 00:40:00.400 Oxymorons. 00:40:00.720 --> 00:40:02.180 Casual Christianity? 00:40:03.860 --> 00:40:05.300 It's not a thing. 00:40:08.040 --> 00:40:08.720 It's not real. 00:40:11.680 --> 00:40:18.940 The secret to storming down gates, the secret 00:40:18.940 --> 00:40:26.880 to conquring darkness, it's dying to self and 00:40:26.880 --> 00:40:27.560 living to Christ. 00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:35.330 I've heard it said this, that following Jesus without sacrifice is Christianity without a cross. 00:40:36.280 --> 00:40:36.860 It doesn't make any sense. 00:40:38.840 --> 00:40:46.080 When you read the rest of the passage, it says for whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 00:40:46.760 --> 00:40:49.880 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit the soul? 00:40:50.060 --> 00:40:52.200 Or what can anyone give an exchange for their soul? 00:40:52.540 --> 00:40:59.640 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's 00:40:59.660 --> 00:41:03.500 glory with his holy angels. 00:41:05.320 --> 00:41:07.920 And the question in this passage here, here's the irony. 00:41:08.900 --> 00:41:15.820 Whatever you hold onto right now, instead of Jesus, you're going to ultimately lose anyway. 00:41:18.940 --> 00:41:21.340 We're talking about counting the costs and following him. 00:41:23.280 --> 00:41:26.560 But what about the cost of not following him? 00:41:29.440 --> 00:41:31.640 That's what Jesus is considering in this verse. 00:41:31.700 --> 00:41:34.740 We're calling it a sacrifice, but ultimately is it a sacrifice? 00:41:36.100 --> 00:41:40.890 If what you gain in him is everything and what you lose by letting go of the other things is nothing? 00:41:44.240 --> 00:41:55.120 Jim Elliot is the one that said he is no fool to lose what 00:41:55.120 --> 00:41:57.790 he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. 00:42:00.540 --> 00:42:04.600 If we understood the power of Christ that rests in us. 00:42:07.180 --> 00:42:09.460 Why would we hold onto the elementary things of this world? 00:42:12.260 --> 00:42:19.640 Jesus is showing the identity of who they are in light of who he is and the sufficiency of that identity 00:42:19.640 --> 00:42:26.740 as it's been made known through the cross of Christ as he gives his life for us, becomes the very foundation for which the church is built 00:42:26.740 --> 00:42:30.240 and being able to pierce the darkness, which he calls in this world. 00:42:30.280 --> 00:42:35.480 And we get the blow up stuff as we love on people. 00:42:38.350 --> 00:42:39.920 So here's what God's calling you to. 00:42:42.780 --> 00:42:43.420 Go outside the walls. 00:42:46.460 --> 00:42:49.590 Go outside the walls and the fortress of the church and storm down the gates. 00:42:51.420 --> 00:42:52.520 Maybe go where you're rejected. 00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:55.980 Stand for him. 00:42:57.640 --> 00:42:59.260 Looking into sin and being a light. 00:43:00.380 --> 00:43:03.300 Loving people where they are in the darkness. 00:43:03.300 --> 00:43:05.800 And look, this is what Paul said to Timothy about his life. 00:43:07.240 --> 00:43:09.640 All who desire to live godly in Christ? 00:43:09.940 --> 00:43:11.820 Look, he says, all. 00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:13.440 All. 00:43:14.120 --> 00:43:19.580 All who desire to live godly in Christ will be persecuted. 00:43:22.720 --> 00:43:24.000 What would make you do that? 00:43:27.820 --> 00:43:29.680 Why would you give your life in such a way? 00:43:32.560 --> 00:43:38.720 It's the sufficiency of Jesus and your identity in him. 00:43:38.720 --> 00:43:41.540 Here's where I think sometimes as Christians we stop short. 00:43:43.980 --> 00:43:44.700 We see the pain. 00:43:46.940 --> 00:43:49.260 We go to a convenience doesn't want me to go anymore. 00:43:50.900 --> 00:43:56.060 But when we talk about taking up your cross, that cries, sacrifice. 00:43:58.400 --> 00:44:05.740 When you read a passage like storm down the gates and you think about the community in which you live, I can tell you we will not pierce the darkness unless God's 00:44:05.740 --> 00:44:06.710 people sacrifice. 00:44:08.240 --> 00:44:15.360 And we're not going to want to sacrifice until we recognize the power of God that rests in us and the sufficiency of who 00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:15.840 Jesus is. 00:44:17.960 --> 00:44:23.240 But when it comes to a passage like this, maybe it's naive, but I want to be so naive as to say, God, I just believe it. 00:44:25.220 --> 00:44:26.520 I know what you've done in my heart. 00:44:27.520 --> 00:44:28.940 I know what you've done in my life. 00:44:28.940 --> 00:44:35.960 I know how you transform me, and I know I'm not capable of seeing that happen in other people's life, but God I know 00:44:35.960 --> 00:44:37.100 that you can use me. 00:44:38.220 --> 00:44:43.340 Not because of me, because of you working your beauty out through me. 00:44:45.300 --> 00:44:50.200 Sometimes as Christians, when you read the New Testament, you see things that make you feel guilt written, right? 00:44:50.700 --> 00:44:54.090 Like make disciples and evangelize and I got to do this. 00:44:54.160 --> 00:44:57.920 And some point your life, the guilt piles up so much where you just can't handle anymore. 00:44:57.920 --> 00:44:58.480 So you just do it. 00:44:58.480 --> 00:45:05.560 You go to someone and, "blaah, Jesus." It just never feels natural and always feels weird, and you walk away kind of weirded out by that. 00:45:07.420 --> 00:45:09.040 Can I tell you there's a way that happens naturally. 00:45:12.240 --> 00:45:15.740 And that's where you just have such an intimate relationship with Christ you just share him. 00:45:17.350 --> 00:45:20.320 You talk about him the way you talk about your best friend with other people. 00:45:22.180 --> 00:45:23.340 You know what me and my friend did the other day? 00:45:24.940 --> 00:45:25.780 And you just share the story. 00:45:27.380 --> 00:45:33.800 When you actually spend time with Christ and God challenges you in his word and God transforms your heart, you'll say things like, you know what God did for me? 00:45:35.040 --> 00:45:36.920 And God showed me this and it was awesome. 00:45:39.100 --> 00:45:41.580 And Jesus becomes a natural outflow of your life. 00:45:43.020 --> 00:45:43.540 Why? 00:45:45.400 --> 00:45:47.210 Because the intimacy you have with him. 00:45:48.260 --> 00:45:53.680 And the only way that happens is the laying down of yourself for the benefit of another. 00:45:54.980 --> 00:45:56.760 And in this case that others, Jesus. 00:45:58.660 --> 00:46:05.380 So what Paul is saying to Timothy in this passage, if you desire to live a godly life, it will cost you something. 00:46:06.520 --> 00:46:07.620 It will cost you something. 00:46:07.660 --> 00:46:09.140 But let's talk about the beauty of that for a minute. 00:46:10.160 --> 00:46:17.180 If you really love Jesus, if you really care about Jesus, when Jesus costs you something, praise God, that the 00:46:17.180 --> 00:46:21.820 evidence of your life demonstrates that you love Jesus above everything else in this world. 00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:29.880 That's what your life communicates in the midst of the adversity that you may face by following after Christ in this world. 00:46:30.440 --> 00:46:33.550 That's what happens when God's people understand this passage. 00:46:33.780 --> 00:46:34.960 You become gate stormers. 00:46:35.020 --> 00:46:42.100 You literally see the gates of hell not prevailing against the church and light piercing the darkness when you're willing to sacrifice only 00:46:42.100 --> 00:46:46.200 because of the sufficiency of Christ. 00:46:47.500 --> 00:46:55.040 Dying for us could mean the forgiveness you offer to others which restores relationships 00:46:55.040 --> 00:46:56.480 and releases you from bitterness. 00:46:58.840 --> 00:47:05.920 It could mean the relationships you walk away from, which opens up the possibility of further healthy living, your life and other relationships that you 00:47:05.920 --> 00:47:06.960 now have given room for. 00:47:08.260 --> 00:47:15.460 It means that the ministry you engage in or the career you change is not only life giving to other people because you've made that change, but it becomes life 00:47:15.460 --> 00:47:18.140 giving for you because you've given your life for Jesus. 00:47:18.980 --> 00:47:20.980 And not only for you, it's learning for your kids. 00:47:21.340 --> 00:47:24.560 They see you honoring Christ above all things in your life. 00:47:24.560 --> 00:47:28.500 The value of Jesus is being demonstrated through you, to the people around you. 00:47:30.440 --> 00:47:31.310 Or even in your giving. 00:47:33.860 --> 00:47:39.800 That only lives are changed, your own heart grows as well. 00:47:41.740 --> 00:47:48.920 This will not happen until we understand the power of God, that rests in us, 00:47:48.920 --> 00:47:52.620 not because of us, but because of the sufficiency of who he is. 00:47:54.980 --> 00:48:02.260 And in response to that take, up the cross and follow him. 00:48:04.300 --> 00:48:12.800 Can I ask you, at any point in your life, have you ever stopped and 00:48:12.800 --> 00:48:14.680 just said, God, my life is yours. 00:48:17.420 --> 00:48:18.400 You made me. 00:48:19.020 --> 00:48:20.160 You love me. 00:48:20.660 --> 00:48:26.640 You've given yourself for me, my life is yours. 00:48:29.680 --> 00:48:36.360 In my life some of the most inspiring things that I have seen are people that are just sold out to Christ. 00:48:37.600 --> 00:48:43.120 I love reading Christian history, biographies of missionaries, people that have given their lives from first century on. 00:48:43.760 --> 00:48:44.460 Polycarp. 00:48:44.800 --> 00:48:45.440 Ignatius. 00:48:45.460 --> 00:48:52.760 Literally laying themselves down for Christ in the first century, Or even today, when you read stories 00:48:52.760 --> 00:48:59.640 about the missionaries that have existed, I quoted Jim Elliot and Dietrich Bonhoeffer for you or Corrie ten Boom. 00:48:59.660 --> 00:49:04.920 She won another lady, Elizabeth Kuhn, giving their lives for Christ. 00:49:06.440 --> 00:49:09.670 One of my favorites, it's a man by the name of David Livingston. 00:49:10.820 --> 00:49:17.940 He's dubbed the father of modern missions and he went to Africa and he lived his life going through the jungles of 00:49:18.020 --> 00:49:21.740 Africa into places where the fear was, they're going to probably eat me. 00:49:22.880 --> 00:49:23.820 I'm going to go into this place. 00:49:23.980 --> 00:49:27.100 No one's ever talked to them before. 00:49:27.100 --> 00:49:29.400 I want to tell him Jesus, the highest likelihood of what will happen, they will eat me. 00:49:30.680 --> 00:49:37.880 And the story tells us that when he went to Africa very early on, as he started out as a missionary, he goes into the bush, a lion comes in and eats 00:49:37.880 --> 00:49:38.080 him. 00:49:38.460 --> 00:49:40.420 Comes in and starts to devour him. 00:49:40.440 --> 00:49:47.620 The lion is so strong, it picks him up in his mouth and starts just slamming him on the ground like a ragdoll and he says, as he's conscious during this time, he 00:49:47.620 --> 00:49:53.020 could just feel his bones breaking into the point that David Livingston limped the rest of his life because of this. 00:49:53.080 --> 00:49:54.820 The man went through so many jungle experiences. 00:49:55.140 --> 00:49:56.530 He got all sorts of diseases. 00:49:56.740 --> 00:50:03.380 He was decrepit and just walk hunched over all of his life because of his desire just to live as a gate stormer in this world. 00:50:03.440 --> 00:50:11.160 And this is the beautiful part, when David Livingston finally dies, two 00:50:11.160 --> 00:50:17.440 people carry his body through the jungles of Africa all the way to the coast so that his body could go home. 00:50:18.540 --> 00:50:25.930 But before they started to carry his body, they cut out his heart and they buried it underneath the tree. 00:50:27.220 --> 00:50:33.740 And they said, David's Livingston's body is in England, but his heart is in Africa. 00:50:37.360 --> 00:50:44.360 God just called a man, not even capable in his own strength, to be a 00:50:44.360 --> 00:50:45.040 light for him. 00:50:46.700 --> 00:50:53.700 And his story has been an inspiration for thousands, because he's sold 00:50:53.700 --> 00:50:55.020 out to this cause. 00:50:56.260 --> 00:50:58.760 That the power of Christ would work in him. 00:51:00.760 --> 00:51:01.520 It happens in two ways. 00:51:03.880 --> 00:51:09.020 One, the victory that you see in Jesus in the sufficiency that it carries for you. 00:51:09.760 --> 00:51:15.160 The question I asked you this morning, have you given your life for Christ?