Cost Of Discipleship Series

THE BOOK OF MARK SERIES

MARK 8:34-38 “Cost of Discipleship”

OPENING STATEMENTS

It appears that the Lord really wants to say something to us about the subject of discipleship.

• In January, I was introduced to Hal Perkins Book, “Discipled by Jesus”, in which I am reading and encouraging you to purchase and read. That book is transforming my entire Christian walk and life. If you want the book order forms are in today’s bulletin and we will be taking orders through Next Sunday.

• I decided last fall to teach the Series “Journey into Following Jesus- A Study of the Twelve Disciples.” I have ordered 20 copies I want every home to have one on Wednesday nights. They are being offered free, if you want to donate suggested donation is $6. This last Wednesday night we learned that Jesus uses:

o Ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

o He often uses young people and how we that are older can learn from the young.

o He often uses us even though at times we are disappointing.

• Then I decided to do a series this year that will give us a good overlook of scripture, which has taken us to this passage on this particular Sunday which deals with “The Cost of Discipleship” recorded for us in Mark 8:34-38.

TRANSITION STATEMENT: Honestly folks, I couldn’t have planned that any better had I tried.

BACKGROUND OF THE TEXT:

Jesus is at Caesarea Philippi, and He is talking to His disciples. They had been around town, “They would have liked the Beach Boy Songs, “I Get Around.” The Disciples would have added a whole new dimension to that song. That was my ADD kicking in. When you can get the Beach Boys out of scripture you really have ADD.

So Jesus may have been sitting around a camp fire or maybe having lunch. He asked His disciples, “Who is people around town saying that I am?”

Well they had all kinds of answers:

• Some say you are John the Baptist

• Some think you are Elijah

• Jeremiah

• Some believe you are one of the old prophets that have risen from the dead.

But Jesus said, “Well, tell Me, who do you think that I am?”

Peter immediately answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus said, “Simon you are blessed, flesh and blood did not reveal that to you but my Father which is in Heaven.”

Mark doesn’t mention the dialogue that went on with between Jesus and Peter, but Mark does tell that Jesus began to speak of His:

• Suffering

• Rejection

• Death

• Resurrection

Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him.

Wow!

Peter has fallen within a few minutes from the level of knowledge to a level of stupidity, “You don’t rebuke Jesus.”

Jesus said something classic to Peter, “Get behind Me Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Mark 8:33

Jesus let me tell you what Discipleship is all about and that bring us to our text this morning.

READ TEXT - Mark 8:34-38 (NKJV)

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.

36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Powerful passage, Billy Graham said, “Salvation is free, but discipleship costs us everything.

What does these Words of Jesus say to us this morning?

FIRST- I think we are forced to deal with two powerful questions in this passage.

The first question that we must deal with in this passage is this, Who is Jesus?” In fact Jesus asks the Disciples, who do you say that I am?

One preacher said that is LIFE’S ULTIMATE QUESTION. Who is Jesus to you?

I think it would be interesting if we were not pre-programmed so much in our society how people might really respond to that question.

Is He your closest friend?

Is He your Savior?

Is He someone that you just depend upon just when you are in trouble?

See, the disciples didn’t have it all together at this point. They really thought Jesus was going to come and overrule the Roman Government and set the Jews free and they thought they would be given special privileges in His new kingdom. In fact that believed that so much they argued about it even when Jesus was talking about His death.