City Slickers is a movie that describes the adventures of three friends having mid-life crises. They escape the city and head west for a two-week cattle run to discover what's important in life.
Before they leave, Mitch (played by Billy Crystal) shares what he does for a living at Dad's Day at his son's school. Instead of talking about his work as a salesman, Mitch bewilders the third graders with a monologue about how bleak their future is. He says:
“Value this time in your life, kids, because this is the time in your life when you still have your choices, and it goes by so quickly. When you're a teenager, you think you can do anything, and you do.
“Your 20s are a blur.
“Your 30s, you raise your family, you make a little money, and you think to yourself, What happened to my 30s?
“Your 40s, you grow a little pot belly. You grow another chin. The music starts to get too loud, and one of your old girlfriends from high school becomes a grandmother.
“Your 50s, you have a minor surgery. You'll call it a procedure, but it's a surgery.
“Your 60s, you have a major surgery; the music is still loud, but it doesn't matter because you can't hear it anyway.
“70s, you and the wife retire to Fort Lauderdale. You start eating dinner at 2:00, lunch around 10:00, breakfast the night before. And you spend most of your time wandering around malls looking for the ultimate in soft yogurt and muttering, ‘How come the kids don't call?’
“By your 80s, you've had a major stroke, and you end up babbling to some Jamaican nurse who your wife can't stand but who you call mama.
“Any questions?” (City Slickers, Columbia Pictures, 1991, beginning at 00:16:50, www.PreachingToday.com)
Sad to say, that describes the life many people live, but is that the life you want to live? If not, then I invite you to turn with me to Mark 8, Mark 8, where Jesus tells his followers how to live a life truly worth living.
Mark 8:27-29 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” (NIV)
If we want to live a life truly worth living, then 1st of all, we must…
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST.
We must understand that Jesus is the Messiah. We must realize that Jesus is the Anointed One – the Prophet, the Priest, & the Ruler of all!
I find it very interesting that Jesus chooses Caesarea Philippi (vs.27) as the place to force the issue with His disciples. You see, Caesarea Philippi was at the foot of the magnificent Mt. Hermon, north of Israel, and the place where the residents had built a great marble temple in honor of Augustus Caesar. The city itself was named after Caesar, the ruler of the world at the time, and it was also named after Herod Philip, the governor of that entire region – hence Caesarea Philippi. It was a symbol of great political power, but Jesus wants us to know that He is greater than Herod Philip or even Caesar Himself.
Jesus is greater than any political power, and He is greater than any religious power, as well. He is greater than any prophet or priest that ever lived. You see, people in Jesus day thought He was just another prophet, perhaps Elijah or John the Baptist come back to life.
I don’t know about you, but if people said that about me, I would be very flattered. If people said, “Wow! He preaches like Elijah Himself,” I would have trouble getting my head through the door. But not Jesus! He wants us to understand that He is greater than any political power, and He is greater than any prophet or priest that ever lived.
He is the Christ! That means Jesus is the Messiah, the “Anointed One” of God. In the Old Testament, prophets, priests and kings were all anointed when they began to serve. They all had oil poured on their heads when they took office. So, in a sense, they could all be called “anointed ones.” They could all be called messiahs or christs (with a little “c”), because that’s what the word “messiah” or “christ” means. It literally means “anointed one” and speaks of one who holds a religious or political office.
But Jesus is more than any politician or prophet. He is THE Christ, THE Anointed One, THE Messiah, who would outshine them all and live and reign forever. When Peter said, “You are THE Christ,” he was saying, “You are THE Prophet” – the one who speaks the words of God. In fact, Jesus IS the Word of God Himself, according to John 1. “You are THE Priest” – Our High Priest forever who intercedes for us constantly before the throne of God (Hebrews 7). “You are THE King” – the coming glorious King, whose glory outshines even that of Caesar here in his temple at the foot of the magnificent Mt. Hermon.
If we want to live a life truly worth living, we must acknowledge the same thing; we must acknowledge that Jesus is THE Christ, not some popularized version we hear about today.
In a posting several years ago (June 2009), Kevin DeYoung, in his Restless and Reformed blog, describes what people say about Jesus today.
“There's the Republican Jesus—who is against tax increases and activist judges, for family values and owning firearms.
“There's Democrat Jesus—who is against Wall Street and Wal-Mart, for reducing our carbon footprint and printing money.
“There's Therapist Jesus—who helps us cope with life's problems, heals our past, tells us how valuable we are and not to be so hard on ourselves.
“There's Starbucks Jesus—who drinks fair trade coffee, loves spiritual conversations, drives a hybrid, and goes to film festivals.
“There's Open-minded Jesus—who loves everyone all the time no matter what (except for people who are not as open-minded as you).
“There's Touchdown Jesus—who helps athletes run faster and jump higher than non-Christians and determines the outcomes of Super Bowls.
“There's Martyr Jesus—a good man who died a cruel death so we can feel sorry for him.
“There's Gentle Jesus—who was meek and mild, with high cheek bones, flowing hair, and walks around barefoot, wearing a sash (while looking very German).
“There's Hippie Jesus—who teaches everyone to give peace a chance, imagines a world without religion, and helps us remember that ‘all you need is love.’
“There's Yuppie Jesus—who encourages us to reach our full potential, reach for the stars, and buy a boat.
“There's Spirituality Jesus—who hates religion, churches, pastors, priests, and doctrine, and would rather have people out in nature, finding ‘the god within’ while listening to ambiguously spiritual music.
“There's Platitude Jesus—good for Christmas specials, greeting cards, and bad sermons, inspiring people to believe in themselves.
“There's Revolutionary Jesus—who teaches us to rebel against the status quo, stick it to the man, and blame things on ‘the system.’
“There's Guru Jesus—a wise, inspirational teacher who believes in you and helps you find your center.
“There's Boyfriend Jesus—who wraps his arms around us as we sing about his intoxicating love in our secret place.
“There's Good Example Jesus—who shows you how to help people, change the planet, and become a better you.
“And then,” DeYoung says, “there's Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Not just another prophet. Not just another Rabbi. Not just another wonder-worker. He was the one they had been waiting for: the Son of David and Abraham's chosen seed; the one to deliver us from captivity; the goal of the Mosaic law; Yahweh in the flesh; the one to establish God's reign and rule; the one to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, freedom to the prisoners and proclaim Good News to the poor; the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world…
This Christ is not a reflection of the current mood or the projection of our own desires. He is our Lord and God. He is the Father's Son, Savior of the world, and substitute for our sins – more loving, more holy, and more wonderfully terrifying than we ever thought possible. (Kevin DeYoung, Who Do You Say That I Am? from his DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed blog, posted 6-10-09)
My friends, if we want to live a life truly worth living, we must give up our own notions of what we want Jesus to be and acknowledge Him for who He truly is. We must acknowledge that He is indeed THE Christ. More than that, if we want to live a life truly worth living, we must also…
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS, THE CHRIST, IS HEADED FOR THE CROSS.
We must understand that Jesus is not pursuing the glory of his position; He’s pursuing a road to suffering and death. Jesus is not pursuing a crown; He is pursuing a cross.
Mark 8:30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. (NIV)
Why? Because if people knew who Jesus was, they’d raise Him up as their King; they’d elevate Him to power, but He came for a different purpose.
Mark 8:31-32 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. (NIV)
Now, that word, “rebuke,” is a strong word. It’s the same word translated “warn” in verse 30, and in some contexts it is used to describe judgment (2 Cor. 2:6). Peter is censuring Jesus here. Peter is warning Him. Peter is dressing Jesus down verbally, threatening Him with retribution should He pursue a path to suffering and death.
You see, Peter, like the rest of the disciples, wanted to follow Jesus to glory. They wanted to share in the prestige and power of His reign, but they didn’t want to have anything to do with the pain necessary to get there. Well, how does Jesus respond?
Mark 8:33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter (same word). “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (NIV)
Peter’s attitude was not only selfish; it was satanic. Like Satan in his pride, Peter wanted to pursue more power and glory for himself, but that’s not where Jesus was headed. Jesus was headed for a cross, and if we want to follow Jesus, that’s where we’ll be headed, as well.
In the 1950’s, Parker Brothers came out with a game for church families, called “Going to Jerusalem.” The playing pieces were not like those in the “worldly” game of Monopoly – a top hat or a Scottie dog. No. In “Going to Jerusalem,” a player got to be a “real” disciple. Each was represented by a little plastic man with a robe, a beard, some sandals, and a staff.
In order to move across the board, players looked up answers to questions in a little black New Testament that was provided with the game. Players always started in Bethlehem, and then made stops at the Mount of Olives, Bethsaida, Capernaum, the stormy sea, Nazareth, and Bethany. If a player rolled the dice well, he or she went all the way to a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but no one ever got to the Crucifixion or Resurrection. There were no demons or angry Pharisees. Players only made their way through the nice stories. It was a safe adventure, perfectly suited for a Christian family on a Sunday afternoon walk with Jesus. (Lee Eclov, Vernon Hills, Illinois; www.Preaching Today.com)
But that’s not what following Jesus is all about. Jesus is the Christ headed for a cross, so traveling with Him is not safe! Traveling with Jesus is not meant for plastic disciples who look up verses in a little black Bible. No. Traveling with Jesus is meant only for those who are willing to take a real risk with their own lives.
Tell me, are you willing to take that risk so that you can live the life you really want to live? If so, then acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ headed for the cross. And…
FOLLOW HIM ANYWAY even though it might cost you your life.
Choose to obey Christ even though you risk losing everything to do so. That’s what Jesus tells us in verse 34
Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (NIV)
Now, I’ve heard some funny explanations of this verse. There was once a man who developed a love for chocolate while he was trying to quit smoking. It was the way he kicked the nicotine habit. Every time he felt like picking up a cigarette, he would pick up a piece of chocolate instead, and it worked for him. Eventually, the man rationed himself to six chocolates a day as a substitute for cigarettes, and he came to love his chocolates!
Yet, every year during the weeks of Lent leading up to Easter, he would open up a box of chocolates, look inside, and then tell the Lord that he would not eat any candy as a token of his love for Jesus. He called it “denying himself” and “taking up his cross.” (Herbert VanderLugt, Bible Illustrator, #3196)
Now, that’s silly! Denying one’s self and taking up one’s cross does not mean giving up chocolates. It means giving up your life. When a man took up a cross in Jesus’ day, it only meant one thing. He was going to die!
Pastor Mark Labberton once had a man appear at his office door asking for some bullet points on Christianity. His wife had just become a Christian, and he wanted help in making some sense of the dinner conversations he was having with her. He made it clear he was a very busy, very successful man, and didn't really have time to study her beliefs. He just wanted the bullet points, “right now, please.”
Pastor Mark told him, “I can see you are a very busy, very successful person, so I don't think this is a good idea.”
“Why?” the man asked, frustrated.
“Because,” Pastor Mark said, “If I were to give you the bullet points, and you were to really understand them, they have a way of working into a person's life so significantly that your life could really get messed up. You would have to rethink the meaning of success, of time, of family…of everything, really. I don't think you really want to do that, do you?”
Well, as it turned out, Pastor Mark’s response peaked the man’s interest and he came to trust Christ with His life. (Mark Labberton, “Pastor of Desperation,” Leadership Journal, Winter 2006; www.PreachingToday.com)
How about you and me? Do we just want the bullet points every Sunday morning – a quick executive summary? Or do we really want Jesus to change us from the inside out? Do we really want Jesus to mess with our lives and rearrange our priorities so much so that we’d give up everything for Him? That’s what Jesus is talking about here.
If we want to come after Him, we must be willing to die. Jesus is the Christ headed for the cross, so it will cost us to follow Him, but let me tell you…
THE COST IS WORTH IT!
Following Jesus is well worth the risk of losing your life. In fact, it may be more risky to try and save your life. Look at what Jesus says in verse 35
Mark 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. (NIV)
Now, Jesus is not talking about the cost of our salvation here, because that is free! Romans 6:23 says, “The FREE gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” All we have to do is trust Him. Jesus is not talking about the cost of our salvation. He’s talking about the cost of serving Him. Jesus is not telling us how to be saved and go to heaven. He’s telling us how to save our lives and make the most of them on this earth. In other words, He’s saying, “If you want to really live, then give up your life for my sake; risk it all in the cause of the Gospel.”
Tyrtaeus, an old Greek poet who lived before the time of Christ, wrote something very similar to what Jesus said here. Tyrtaeus wrote, “The man who risks his life in battle has the best chance in saving it; the one who flees to save it is most likely to lose it.” (Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2nd ed., p.95b)
That’s true in modern warfare, as well. During World War II, psychologist E. Paul Torrance made a study of the top U.S. pilots who flew over the Pacific Ocean. There was one common trait he found among all of them. They were risk-takers.
Throughout their lives, they kept testing the limits of their abilities, and yet they were highly resistant to accidents. In fact, during the war, they suffered fewer casualties than pilots who were inclined to play it safe.
Dr. Torrance concluded, “Living itself is a risky business. If we spent half as much time learning how to take risks as we spend avoiding them, we wouldn’t have nearly so much to fear in life.” (Bible Illustrator, #1211, 5/1988.8)
That’s interesting. Those who play it safe are actually at greatest risk, but those who take great risks are actually the most secure. Or as Jesus put it: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”
Mark 8:36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? (NIV)
Or better, “his life.” The word for “soul” is the same word translated “life” in vs.35.
Mark 8:37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (NIV)
I.e., “his life.” Again, Jesus is not talking about losing our souls in hell here. He is talking about losing our lives, wasting them in the wrong pursuits.
In 1867, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel invented a new high explosive, which he named “dynamite.” He was convinced that his invention would make war too horrible to ever happen again. However, he quickly discovered there was no shortage of buyers for his new explosive. He made a huge fortune from its sales, yet was horrified with the suffering and misery it caused in wars and conflicts. But what was he to do?
Towards the end of the 19th, century he awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local paper: “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before. He died a very rich man.”
Actually, it was Alfred's older brother who had died. A newspaper reporter had confused the epitaph. But the account had a profound effect on Alfred. He decided he wanted to be known for something other than developing a means to kill people efficiently, and for amassing a fortune in the process.
As a result, he initiated the Nobel Prize—an award for scientists and writers who foster peace. Nobel said, “Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one.” (Doug Murren and Barb Sharin, Is It Real When It Doesn't Work? Thomas Nelson, 1990; www.PreachingToday. com)
How about you? Are you going to wake up one day to regret what you did with your life? Or can you honestly say, “I’m living the life I really want to live. Sure it’s hard sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!”
If you cannot honestly say that, I encourage you to take a risk this morning. Choose now to follow Jesus and give your life in service to Him. Acknowledge that He is the Christ headed for the cross, and follow Him anyway even though it might cost you everything you have. For then, and only then, will you truly live!
