Is This Your Final Answer?

Regis Philbin is the host of the show, and after asking each question, he will say, “IS THAT YOUR FINAL ANSWER?”

Each day we are asked many questions, and some of these questions make life difficult for us.

Illus: You decide to stop by a fast-food restaurant to get a hamburger. Now that should be simple: right? But look at the questions we are asked:

• “Hi, how are you?” – “I am fine!”

• “How can I help you? – “I want to get a hamburger.”

• “What kind of hamburger do you want?”

• “What do you mean?” “A hamburger is a hamburger!”

• “No, what I mean what do you want on the hamburger?”

• “Everything!” That should solve the problem; right! No!

• “Do you want Mayonnaise?” – “Yes!”

• “Do you want mustard?” – “Yes!”

• “Do you want Cheese?” – “No!”

• “Do you want plain bread or wheat bread?” – “Wheat!”

• “Do you want it toasted or not toasted?” – “Not toasted!”

• “Do you plan to eat it here?” – “Yes, right over there on that little table!”

• “Do you want fries?” – “No!”

• “Do you want a drink?” – “Yes!”

• “What kind?” – “Tea.”

• “What size tea do you want? Large, small, or medium?” – “Medium!”

Listen, that is a lot of questions just to get an ordinary hamburger!

In our scripture, Jesus asks every one of us two questions that will determine where we are going to spend eternity. Let’s look at these two questions and consider their message to us today.

I. THE LORD ASKED A POWERFUL QUESTION

Look at Mark 8:27-28, we read, “And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.”

This is one of the most POWERFUL QUESTIONS that has ever been asked. Everyone here needs to know the answer.

This is not the first time the Lord asked questions, however, we must understand that any time Jesus raises a question to anyone, it is simply a test. He knows the answer, but He wants to pull the answer out of them to make sure they know the answer.

For example:

• He asked his family, “Who is my mother, or my brethren?”

• On his way to Jairus’ home to heal a sick little girl, with the crowds pressing in on him, he turned to his disciples and asked, “Who Touched me?”

• When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"

The Lord often asked questions for the purpose of pulling the answer out of others.

Illus: Life is filled with all kinds of questions, however, I am satisfied that some questions just do not have an answer. For instance:

• Why do women open their mouths when they put on eye makeup?

• How do you get off a nonstop flight?

• How do you know when you’ve run out of invisible ink?

• How do you throw away a garbage can?

• How does a thermos know whether a drink should be hot or cold?

• How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work in the mornings?

• If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?

• If nothing ever sticks to Teflon, how do they make Teflon stick to the pan?

• What was the best thing before sliced bread?

• When you're sending someone Styrofoam, what do you pack it in?

• What is a "free gift?” Aren't all gifts free?

• What's another word for synonym?

• When sign-makers go on strike, what is written on their picket signs?

• Why is it that when you transport something by car, its called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, it is called cargo?

• Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?

• If an orange is orange, why isn't a lime called a green or a lemon called a yellow?

• Why does your nose run, and why do your feet smell?

• If olive oil comes from squeezing olives, where does baby oil come from?

We had better come up with the right answer to the two questions the Lord asked, because the answer to these two questions is going to determine where we are going to spend eternity.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST QUESTION THE LORD ASKED THESE DISCIPLES?

He asked, “WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?”

Jesus knew what people were saying about Him. He lived under the pressure each day of being in a “FISH BOWL” you might say. People were constantly watching Him and talking about Him.