Setting Your Mind on the Things of God
March 14, 2021 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: Keep your eyes on Jesus and His Kingdom to keep from being distracted by this world.
Focus Passage: Mark 8:27-38
Supplemental Passage: Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB)
Introduction: Texting and driving don’t mix very well. In fact, it is illegal to do so in most, if not all, states. Why? For the simple fact that it is distracting therefore dangerous to yourself, your passengers, and other people. We’ve all heard the adage, “Keep your eyes on the road.” As Christians, we, too, should keep our eyes on Jesus and His kingdom. We should not be distracted by the things of this world, our opinion, or our agenda. We need to keep the main thing the main thing.
I. Man’s Point of View
a. Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the Messiah
b. Jews were (and still are) looking for a political messiah, not a spiritual one
c. With this in mind, Peter didn’t want to hear anything about Jesus dying. He HAD to become king so that He could deliver the Jews from the Romans.
d. He began to rebuke Jesus!
e. We, too, think we know best. But all too often, we have set our thinking from our own point of view.
II. God’s Point of View
a. Jesus then rebuked Peter!
b. He told him that he was only looking at things from his own point of view
c. He told him what he really needed to do was to see things from God’s point of view.
d. He then explained this in detail to the Disciples and the crowd that was around them
i. put yourself last
ii. be ready to die
iii. actually follow Jesus
iv. don’t value your life above God
v. the soul is what matters, and it is more valuable than anything else in the whole world
vi. don’t be ashamed to follow Jesus
Application/Call to Obedience: Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8 NASB) We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT) Have you let your point of view get in the way of God’s vision for you? Have you become distracted by worldly thoughts and motives? Have you shared your faith with anyone lately? Ever? Perhaps you’ve never trusted Jesus in the way to be saved. The Bible says “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10 NASB)
