Answering Life's Most Important Question Series

d. Satan had come back to tempt Jesus again, not as a roaring lion, but in the voice of a caring friend.

4. How sobering to realize that Satan can come at us from many different fronts and can even use those closest to us to try to derail us from God’s ways and God’s plan.

a. Satan might speak through those closest to us and say things like:

1. “Don’t you think you are going overboard with this Jesus stuff?”

2. “You don’t really have to be that committed to be a good Christian.”

3. “You don’t need to give so much of your time and money to God, you need to think of yourself and put your own needs first.”

b. The tempter used the voice of a friend against Jesus that day, but Jesus stood firm and we must do the same.

c. We must hear God’s voice above the rest of the competing voices and stay true to God’s plan and our commitment to the Lord.

5. After Peter’s right answer and wrong advice, Jesus then gave His right requirements.

III. Jesus’ Right Requirements (Mk. 8:34-9:1)

A. Mark wrote: 34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 37 What can anyone give in exchange for his life? 38 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.” (Mk. 8:34-38)

1. At this point, Jesus had come to another point of no return.

a. Jesus had brought His disciples to the point of confessing who He was.

b. Jesus had then made it clear what it meant for Him to be the Messiah.

c. And now He called the crowd around Him to announce to the world and to all generations what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

d. Jesus laid out the specific, right requirements expected of those who intended to confess with their lips and lives that Jesus is Lord.

2. Before we look at the specific requirements, let’s notice two things that stand out immediately about these requirements.

3. First, there is almost a startling honesty and clarity in Jesus’ words.

a. No one could ever say that they were persuaded to follow Jesus under false pretenses.

b. Jesus never tried to manipulate people by promising an easy way.

c. This is such a contrast from the “health and wealth” Gospel peddled by many TV and internet evangelists who tell their followers that God promises you’ll be healthy and wealthy – all you have to do is believe and send them your seed money.

d. In the days of WWII, when Winston Churchill who stepped forward to lead his country, this is what he promised the men who would fight for their freedom: “I promise you blood, toil, tears and sweat.” – Nothing easy about that!

e. Similarly, Garibaldi, the Italian patriot of the 17th century, appealed for recruits in these terms: “I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor provisions; I offer hunger, thirst, battles and death. Let him who loves his country in his heart, and not with his lips only, follow me.”