The great exchange
Matthew 16:21 - 28 (NIV)
1. Ask to turn to the scripture.
2. Set the Stage: The scene starts out with Jesus and his disciples coming into Caesarea Philippi
a. Jesus was asking His disciples whom do the people think the son of man is?
b. They answer “some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
c. Who do you think I am
d. The Christ the son of the living God.
e. Jesus commends him, calls him the Rock and tells him that he has the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
3. Jesus explains His plan: Then we come to this point where Jesus begins to explain to his disciples His true plan for salvation
a. The words in Greek give the sense that Jesus did this fully holding nothing back. All was reviled.
4. Peter Rebukes: Peter upon hearing this rebukes him and say no way no how. May this never be so!
a. It seems that Peter has his own plans for how Jesus was going to fulfill his mesiahship.
5. Why: Israel expected a military ruler
a. Now due to these preconceived notions peter was like no way. This doesn’t fit.
b. So now when Peter heard Jesus say this is going to go down a different way, that it was going to go down through one act of selfless sacrifice, that being his death, Peter was like no way no how, may it never be so! God forbid it! You can’t die Jesus.
6. What was Jesus response?
a. It was harsh and to the point and very blunt.
b. Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
c. “Get out of my way you evil one” Your intentions are not God’s but your own.
d. Jesus also said this to Satan when he was tempted in the desert
Question: Isn’t it interesting how because of Peter’s preconceived understanding about who Jesus was and how He was going to go about His business, that he could be so close to Jesus and miss the whole point?
a. Isn’t it amazing how Peter could walk with Jesus for three years and see His amazing miracles like giving sight to the blind, making the cripple walk, calming storm, and casting out demons demonstrating feats of power over the spirit world and over nature and he somehow still miss the point?
b. And to use a phrase that I grew up on the streets of Brooklyn that he can somehow be “a day late and a dollar short”
8. Can this be going on in the body of Christ today?
a. Can there be some children of God who walk with Jesus everyday and because of ill preconceived understandings of the messiah and what He was about miss the whole point?
b. Can it be that there are some that although they are close to Jesus and are being prompted by the Spirit, but ignore it and still have their own agenda of what God’s plans are?
9. Preconceived understandings: Is it possible that due to our misconceptions about Jesus we paint a picture of Him in our minds making him everything we want Him to be rather then truly who He is?
a. Only about forgiveness.
i. I was at camp meeting the other day and the evangelist nailed it right on the head when he mentioned the fact that most people put Jesus in this box so to speak and a God who death and resurrection is only about forgiveness.
b. All we have to do is believe.
i. As if to say all we have to do is believe the mental fact that Jesus was who He said he was and say we are sorry and go on living without any changes taking place.
ii. We can continue in the direction we were heading it doesn’t matter.
iii. This whole follow Jesus thing is a choice and isn’t necessary.
iv. Jesus didn’t ask for any more then a mere acknowledgment of Him.
v. These preconceived notions can lead one astray from the life that God intends for us.
What ever it is I wonder if we have a bunch of Peter’s running around walking close to Jesus but are still missing the point. Or as I used to say, are a day late and a dollar short.
Question: Some would say, how could this happen? How is this possible?
a. Well Jesus knew. He knew what the problem was and He knew what it would take to fix it. Jesus explains as He responds to Peter in verse 24
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life£ will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it
You see the problem is selfishness or self-centeredness. It’s the nature of the flesh that points us always to what we want. The average person has no idea what it’s like to deny them-selves.
11. Self centeredness. Jesus knew that what it would take denying ourselves to follow Him on be in His agenda. He knew that where He was going and what He was going to do would be the opposite of what our desires would be.
a. This desire for evil starts with our selfishness and our refusal to deny ourselves. My dreams, My hopes, My happiness, My desires my my my my. That’s where it starts.
The moment we start with the word “I” we are close to messing up.
Why, because it’s not about “I” it’s about God and every body else. I would like to say Christianity stops being about us the moment we get saved. What does Jesus say is the greatest commandment?
Matt 22-37-39
37Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’£ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’£ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
13. My point:
a. When you’re loving God with all your heart mind and soul and your loving your neighbor as yourself, our perspective on life changes.
b. We don’t see life from the “I” or “My” perspective anymore. Life becomes about others, selfishness goes away.
c. When we love our neighbors as ourselves we will do anything for them.
i. We will climb the highest mountain swim the deepest sea just so they can have a chance at true live.
d. And that’s what Jesus was ready to go do. HE was ready to go the distance to the cross, for whom? For his neighbor! Why because he loved God with all His heart mind and soul and He loved His neighbor as himself.
14. But that’s not how we are is it? We are all about ourselves. We are only willing to go so far for people, the church and Ultimately God.
a. We have our boundaries which we won’t cross. It might cost to most and be too much trouble. It might interfere with “my” plans. It might interfere with my hopes, dreams, and desires.
Story of George w. Bush
George W. Bush, in an airport lobby, noticed a man in a long flowing white robe with a long flowing white beard and flowing white hair. The man had a staff in one hand and some stone tablets under the other arm.
George W. approached the man and inquired, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man ignored George W. and stared at the ceiling. George W. positioned himself more directly in the man’s view and asked again, "Aren’t you Moses?"
.
The man continued to peruse the ceiling. George W. tugged at the man’s sleeve and asked once again, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man finally responded in an irritated voice, "Yes I am".
George W. asked him why he was so unfriendly and Moses replied, "The last time I spoke to a Bush I had to spend forty years in the desert....
Movement
15. Jesus also knew something else.
a. He knew that changing this way of thinking wasn’t going to come easy. He knew that for if we were going to be able to overcome our selfishness and special agendas we would have to take up our own instrument of death.
He knew that in order to follow him and be an imitator of Him we would have to endure our own cross and die to ourselves.
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
16. Jesus was saying to Peter and anyone for that matter. Hey you want to come with me to Jerusalem. You want to be part of this redemption process. Well in order to follow were I am going your going to have to die to yourselves.
17. He knew that before our dreams, hopes, and desires could be replaced with His dreams, hopes and desires, we would have to die to ours.
a. That’s what He is basically saying when he says we need to take up our cross and follow Him.
b. Daily…Because everyday we will face our desires
c. We need to be “dead men walking.”
d. You see Jesus didn’t want to go to the cross. He would have rather it happened a different way. Do you all remember Him battling his desires in the garden of Gethsemane when he was asking God to take this cup from Him? But what did He say? “Not my will but your will”
Paul gives us a perfect example of this when he writes to the Galatians 2:20
20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Story of Paul
What do you do with an Apostle Paul? Now there was one committed guy.
Story: They came to paul and told him to quite preaching. They said.
“Paul, quit preaching or we will stone you!” “Ok sure and he keeps preaching Look, Paul, if you don’t quit preaching we are going to throw you in jail!” “He continues to preach” “Paul if you don’t quit preaching, we’re gonna kill you.!” He keeps preaching and starting churches
Some would say how can this be? How come in the face of death he continued on? Well Paul wasn’t worried about being killed! He was already dead!
He already died to himself a long time ago.
18. Now that’s self death, and until we live that way we can never truly follow Jesus,
a. Because where He is heading and where He wants us to go is going to be against what we are naturally willing to do.
We see Jesus give us this warning.
He says in verse 25 “whoever wishes to save His life will loose it.”
19. If someone is holding onto life so hard that they aren’t willing to let go of this false reality, they will loose it in the end. Why?
a. Because although you think true happiness comes from these hopes, dreams, and desires they don’t.
b. Although it might seem that working long hours at work so you can make lots of money to afford that big house, that nice car, that big boat and wonderful landscaping might make you happy we need think again.
c. It usually only leads to what; an unhappy marriage that just might end up in a divorce and family that is falling apart. Yes that’s true life isn’t it? Yes were do I sign up for that?
20. We try to find life in things that just can’t give it to us.
21. We try to find life in what we own, in what status we have in the community.
22. We try to find life in how much money we have accumulated or how much we have accomplished.
23. We try to find life in what position we have attained in or work place.
24. We wear these things on our shoulder like a badge of honor, but they will all soon pass away.
Story of Petsmart
I remember when I was working at Pet smart, Boy was I good. I was so committed to being the best at what I did I actually did it. I was making a very good salary for a lowly pet trainer. I was averaging 18 dollars an hour. Some may so that’s not too much money. True but the next guy below me was making about 9 dollars an hour. I attained so much fame in that company. I attained power and influence. I trained all the trainers in the Tennessee district that’s about 20 stores that were under my responsibility. But you know what happened? God told me to walk away from it. At first I was like what Lord? I enjoy this. This is who I am. People come to me for help. I know hundreds of people in this town and they all see ME! I am respected. I trained the Mayors dog. It gives me life. But God said “no it doesn’t I do.”
Story of running with Pastor I was running with pastor one day. We used to run through down town a lot when he said something really profound to me. “Do you want to be a dog trainer or a fisher of men?”
25. And I walked away from my life and my life has never been the same. I now know what true life is all about. I now know God for what He is and that the giver of life.
26. God is shouting to everyone O.K you are a Christian now? You are my child. O.K. so now imitate me and act like I do
a. die to your hopes and dreams and desires and I will replace them with new dreams, hopes and desires
b. And Guess what; in this process you will experience true life, because anyone who looses His life for my sake will find it. It’s the great exchange.
Its like Wal-Mart Explain return in customer service department.
27. We get to trade in an old beet down, materialistic selfish life for one that is vibrant and real.
28. One that is full of true hopes and dreams.
29. A life that loves God with all our hearts minds and souls.
30. We get a new life that loves our neighbors as ourselves.
31. So when we have to stay up late one night making phone calls inviting people out to Sunday school or bible study, or camp meeting or VBS we actually get to enjoy it.
32. When we have to miss our favorite Television show survivor, or American idol, or even a hot meal, we get actually to look forward to it.
33. We get to get excited when someone says yes sure ill come to church. Yes sure, I believe Jesus is the son of the living God. And it’s so obvious to me that you do to!
When was the last time someone said to you it is wonderful to see how excited you are about Jesus?
Wow true life. A new life. We get to experience life as God had intended. That’s why He came to die. So he can fix the biggest blunder ever that Adam and Eve created. God’s so desires to walk with us and talk with us and be with us. But His ways are not our ways. So we have to die to our ways in order to experience His way.
It wasn’t until I finally said God take my life as I live and replace it with a new one that I found true pleasure. All my dreams were replaced.
Jesus asks this question. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
The whole world: it included all your hopes, dreams, desires, the big house, the big car. The nice landscape that takes hours each week to keep up.
Then Jesus adds “Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
What is so valuable that its worth losing your soul?
So did you live your life or his?
27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Jesus is not talking about works here as if you can save up a bunch of good deeds and cash them in at the end. He is talking about priorities. Was I your priority, then you’ll be mine?
Alter Call
SO my question tonight to you is. Whose life are you living? Are you living God’s life or yours? Are you on God’s agenda or your own? Are you ready to experience true life? IS there anyone in here who can honestly say Jesus I want true life. My life is defunct without you. I am willing to trade my hopes, my dreams and desires for yours Lord.
