I. EXORDIUM:
Are you called to suffer for Him?
Yes.
Philippians 1:29 (Amplified Bible)
For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers/unbelievers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To show that GOD called us not to believe only but to suffer for His Name's sake and if we try to avoid or save ourselves from trials, persecutions and sufferings here on earth, we will not be saved (advance) in our spiritual life.
IV. TEXT:
Mark 8:35 (Amplified Bible)
For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God].
Mark 8:35 (New King James Version)
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.
V. THESIS:
Praise, worship, glorify, adore, bless, honor, acknowledge and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You have already saved my spiritual life in exchange of suffering in this present life for this is our calling to glorify You.
VI. TITLE:
Save your life by saving it in GODs Presence
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: Mark, son of Mary of Jerusalem. Referred to as "John Mark" First name: John, Surname: Mark
B. Date written: 58 B.C. earliest of the Gospels
C. Purpose: To present Jesus of Nazareth as God's Suffering Servant, the Redeemer of the world.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines
D. Main Theme: Christ is the tireless servant of God and humanity.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines
VIII. MAIN BODY:
Mark 8:35 (Amplified Bible)
For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God].
Mark 8:35 (New King James Version)
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.
A. Whoever wants to save his physical life will lose it His place in Heaven
"For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth];"
Matthew 10:39 (Amplified Bible)
Whoever finds his [lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life].
Matthew 16:25 (Amplified Bible)
For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].
Luke 9:24 (Amplified Bible)
For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death].
Luke 17:33 (Amplified Bible)
Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve and quicken it.
John 12:25-26 (Amplified Bible)
Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.]
If anyone serves Me, he must continue to follow Me [to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying] and wherever I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
ILLUSTRATION: Saving your marriage is part of saving your life here on earth. This is the tragedy, those who lost in love, can't remarry, for GOD is angry with divorce and it's called adultery when you marry again or have another love life. But it's part of life, while here on earth, we are not exempted from trouble, now just depend on my spiritual life to save it for me.
Hebrews 11:35 (Amplified Bible)
[Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life.
I lose face on a regular basis sharing GOD'S WORDS as if my spiritual work are counted as nothing by people that despises the blood of CHRIST. But I know I have taken part in the sharing of the gospel even to the scoffers, GOD will include me in the list of people that will receive the crown of life. It's better to lose face sharing the LORD JESUS rather than not because you are hiding the gospel to people. And we are blessed in this age and time, because we never suffered pain and even death, unlike the first CHRISTians who suffered death for their faith, but we still hesitate to share the gospel that is to our shame.
B. Whoever lost His physical life here on earth is already saved in Heaven.
"and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God]."
Matthew 5:10-12 (Amplified Bible)
Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account.
Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 10:22 (Amplified Bible)
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved [from spiritual disease and death in the world to come].
Luke 6:22-23 (Amplified Bible)
Blessed (happy—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition—and to be envied) are you when people despise (hate) you, and when they exclude and excommunicate you [as disreputable] and revile and denounce you and defame and cast out and spurn your name as evil (wicked) on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and be glad at such a time and exult and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is rich and great and strong and intense and abundant in heaven; for even so their forefathers treated the prophets.
John 15:20-21 (Amplified Bible)
Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours.
But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me.
Philippians 1:29 (Amplified Bible)
For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.
Acts 5:41 (Amplified Bible)
So they went out from the presence of the council (Sanhedrin), rejoicing that they were being counted worthy [dignified by the indignity] to suffer shame and be exposed to disgrace for [the sake of] His name.
Romans 5:3 (Amplified Bible)
Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.
James 1:2 (Amplified Bible)
Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.
1 Peter 4:13 (Amplified Bible)
But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly].
IX. CONCLUSION:
Praise, worship, glorify, adore, bless, honor, acknowledge and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You have already saved my spiritual life in exchange of suffering in this present life for this is our calling to glorify You.
