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THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
Scripture Reading:
“From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!”
But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Matthew 16:21-28
Opening Prayer: << Prayer >>
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Opening story: COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
I recently read the true story about a preacher who was standing at
the door shaking hands as the congregation departed. He grabbed
one man by the hand and pulled him aside.
The preacher said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"
The man replied, "I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Preacher."
The preacher questioned, "How come I don’t see you except for
Christmas and Easter?"
He whispered back, "I’m in the secret service."
Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the call to discipleship, the call to follow Christ,
there is no secret service, We are all called to give our all for Christ, and Jesus
has no secret service Christians, following Christ is not a part-time thing.
You are either all in or you are not in at all. (x2)
Permit me to title today's sermon. The cost of discipleship: Giving your all to follow Christ
Introduction of text:
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Our Bible text for today comes from Mathew chapter 16 verses 25-26,
In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus had recently praised Peter, and called
him the Rock. Jesus asked the disciples, who do men say that I am,
Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus told Peter that flesh and blood had not revealed this to Him
but it had been revealed by the Father in heaven.
Next Jesus told Peter, on this rock,
I will build my church and the gates of Hades will
not prevail against it.
Now Peter who was just called the rock, would soon be
a stumbling block.
As the chapter continues, Jesus begins to tell the disciples
about how He would die a horrible death,
but Peter, the rock, rebukes Jesus
and tells him, “This shall never happen to you”,
Peter was OK with Jesus getting glory,
but didn't want to embrace
the suffering and shame, the cost of discipleship, that would
come before the glory of the cross.
This is our background context in which
Jesus tells his disciples “If anyone wants to come after Me,
let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”
He continues and says,
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it,
but whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.
What will it profit someone if they gains the whole world,
yet forfeits their soul?
Or what can one give in exchange for his soul?”.
Brothers and Sister in Christ as we focus on the call to discipleship,
I want to highlight 3 basic drives that we have, all of which are in
direct opposition to the call to discipleship,
taking up our cross and following Christ.
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What are these 3 Basic Drives that
are in direct opposition to the call to discipleship
As humans, we all have a desire and drive for
self-preservation, self-determination, and self identity (x2)
We all have a desire and drive for self-preservation.
As human beings we all have the a natural instinct to survive,
we have the drive to breath air, to eat food, to stay alive,
and to keep away from danger .
For example, In November 2021, in Madagascar,
the police minister was involved in a helicopter crash.
This helicopter crashed into the Indian ocean where he was stranded at sea.
With an overwhelming drive to stay alive, this police minister
swam for 12 hours to safety. 12 hours. Wow.
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We also all have a desire drive for self-determination.
The drive that we have as humans to have things our way
is very strong. We see it from birth. When babies first learn
to talk, after learning to say mama or dada, the first words
that they usually say is “mine” when you try to take something
that they have claimed, or “No” when you try to have them do something
they don't want to do. “Mine” , “No”, it starts early as we are all hardwired
to have a ego-eccentric orientation.
When I think about our drive for self-determination, It reminds me of a song sung by Frank Sinatra, titled, “I did it my way.“
Listen to the lyrics of his song :
"And now the end is here
And so I face that final curtain
My friend I'll make it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more
I did it, I did it my way
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
I saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much, much more
I did it, I did it my way
Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself then he has naught
Not to say the things that he truly feels
And not the words of someone who kneels
Let the record shows I took all the blows and did it my way."
This song by Frank Sinatra illustrates Our drive for self-determination,
the drive that we all have to do it our way,
whether is leads us to fulfill the lust of the flesh,
or chart whatever course in life we feel is the best path.
The drive for self-determination is strong in all over us.
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In addition to the desire for self-preservation, keeping alive
and staying away from danger, and the drive for self-determination (doing it our way)
we also all have a desire and drive towards self-identity,
an innate deep longing to find out who we are, our true self.
In our world we are told that we need to find ourselves.
The world tells us to chase our dreams and be all that we can be.
The world tells us that we need to live our lives and live it to the fullest.
Many of you are familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of needs in which he ranks
our needs in order of priority.
Maslow puts our basic needs at the bottom,
such as our physical needs to say alive,
follow by safety and then emotional needs,
and other needs. At the top Maslow list self-actualization at the top.
Finding your true self and being all that you are to be.
The world also tells us that the pathway to self-identity is esteeming
the self. We are told that we should have self- esteem.
You are told by the world that you need to esteem, or value,
or regard yourself highly, and you should lift up yourself so that
you can feel good about yourself. And the world tells us that
in doing so we will find our identity.
*******************The Cost to discipleship.**************************************
What is the cost of discipleship?
What will if cost you if you desire to follow Christ?
Jesus shows us the cost of discipleship, as He challenges
these 3 basic drives and desires
In our text, Jesus directly challenges these 3 basic drives and desires
that we have as human beings, when He tells his disciples that
whosoever desires to
save his/her life will lose it and what does it profit a man to gain to whole world but lose their lose. He challenges the desire and drive for self-preservation. Jesus challenges our desire and drive for self-determination, And he challenges the desire and drive for self-identity.
*******************Jesus challenged our desire and drive for self-preservation*******************
Peter wanted to preserve the life of Jesus, he wanted to keep Jesus alive. “No Lord” Peter exclaimed,
“This will never happen to you”. Peter also likely had selfish reasons as well.
You can't die, who will lead us if you die,
and who will be there to grant me a place of honor
and all of my blessings if you die Jesus.
However, speaking of the call to discipleship, Jesus responds
to Peter and the disciples and says , that whosoever desires to
save his/her life will lose it.
The need for self-preservation would be
challenged as Jesus would face the crucifixion on the cross.
So gruesome was the death of crucifixion
that the mere thought of the event made
our dear Lord sweat drops of blood.
As a clinical social worker I had to take a state board exam to be certified to be a licensed therapist. The test was electronic. The day of the exam I was stressed, it was anxiety provoking and I wanted to preserve myself from that mental stress, I was sweating, but I wasn't sweating drops of blood.
As a child, I remember a few incidences where I had to wait for my father to get home so that I would receive the belt, some of you know about the belt. I would be sweating, because I wanted to preserve myself from the physical pain that I knew would soon come, I was sweating but I wasn't sweating drops of blood.
Our Lord faced the crucifixion and before he even felt one nail in his hands or his feet he already began to bleed from the mental anguish. Medical doctors
call this Hematidrosis, a very rare medical condition that causes you to ooze or sweat blood from your skin when you're not cut or injured. Usually due to a broken blood vessel. Jesus was fighting this need for self preservation and it showed.
There were many times when the soldiers
came to arrest Jesus previously
but all other times they were unsuccessful
because His time had not yet come. Jesus didn't need to try to preserve
Himself because God the Father would keep Him safe. And it wasn't until
His time had come that the Roman soldiers were then allowed to arrest Jesus.
Listen to the words of Jesus, in John 12:23-28, Jesus speaking,
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls
to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Anyone who loves their life will lose it,
while anyone who hates their life in this world
will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am,
my servant also will be.
My Father will honor the one who serves me.
“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say?
‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for
this very reason I came to this hour.
Father, glorify your name!”
It should be noted, that being a Christian doesn't mean being reckless,
but you can't play it safe if you are going to live the
life of a disciple of Christ.
When I see the example of Jesus, I realize that many times, I've
been praying the wrong prayers. I learn from Jesus that I've been praying
to be saved from the pain and hurt in many situations
led by the drive for self-preservation,
when I should have been praying for God to glorify His name in my situation.
Maybe you can relate.
It is all too easy to pray for God to save us, Lord, take me out of here,
but how often do we pray God be glorified in my suffering
The 3 Hebrew boys were not taken out of the fire, until
Jesus was glorified, He joined them and danced with them in the fire.
The Children of Israel were not taken out of Egypt from
Pharaoh, until Pharaoh had been humiliated by the 10 plagues
and his army drowned in the Red Sea, and
God's name was glorified.
The need for self-preservation is strong but we don't have to try to
preserve ourselves, Let us pray for God to be glorified
in our situation and God will bring us through .
*******************Jesus challenged our desire and drive for self-determination*********************
Peter in his mind was confused as to why Jesus would not
choose the natural way to glory, by saying alive and reigning as King of Israel.
Ascending straight to the throne. However Peter did not know that it was
through Jesus death to self, the cross, the crucifixion, through which this
glory would come.
Indeed God had revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Son of God,
but God did not reveal to Peter the reason the Son of God came,
which was to die and give His life a ransom for many for the redemption of our souls.
The path that the self would have been determined to take, ruling as King now, would not
be the path that God laid out for Jesus and would have forfeited His purpose.
Remember, Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness in an appeal to
follow the path of self-determination or the path of the self, the devil offered
Jesus all of the Kingdoms of the world, if Jesus would in exchange bow down and worship him.
But Jesus would not do it his way or the way of the self.
Jesus would wait until after the crucifixion and resurrection
when He would rightfully get all of the Kingdoms of this world and more.
*******************Jesus challenged our desire and drive for self-identity *******************
Yes we all indeed have value and a true identity, however we do not
find out our true identity, the person God has called us to be, our worth,
through esteeming or lifting up the self.
When you study the Bible there is no mention of self-esteem,
for Christians it is not about self-esteem but Christ esteem.
As Christians we decrease so that Christ can increase.
And in doing so, lifting up Christ, not self, we find out who we really are.
Because for the Christian, our identity is in Christ.
It would be through dying to His will and submitting
to the will of God the Father, that Jesus would find His true self.
It would be through coming down from heaven where He was
worshiped by angels, to the earth, where he would be
spat on and ridicule, that Jesus would reveal for us His true identity.
It wouldn't be through sitting on the throne as King of Israel with a
golden crown on His head, feeling full of self- that the identity of Christ
would be revealed,
but it would be through hanging on a cross,
with a crown of thorns pressed into His bloody forehead, being
beaten and despised, that the identity of Christ would be revealed
as the savior of the world.
Sometimes in life we wonder why haven't we found our place
or purpose in life.
We ask , “Lord, I don't know why you put me on this earth.
What is my purpose?
For many of us, this is because we are not using the
gifts and talents that God has given us to serve
the body of Christ.
We don't find our identity as the world puts it, by lifting up ourselves,
or through inflating our self esteem. Instead we humble ourselves like Jesus
did and we serve others esteeming Christ above self.
We see this even before Jesus was crucified.
I don't know about you, but I could see
many of us,myself include, if we were in Jesus's situation at the last supper, saying,
I'm getting ready to die, I need you all to take care of me, please
serve me, wash my feet.
But Jesus didn't try to lift himself up,
He humbled himself, even before He went to the cross
and knelt down and washed the feet of the disciples.
Serving to the very end and giving for us an example to follow.
**************************************Summary**************************************
And so Jesus was telling Peter my death to self, this casting aside self-preservation, self-determination, and self-identity, this is what is means to be a disciple of Christ. This is the cost of discipleship, but in doing so, we glorifying God's name, we find our true purpose,
and we find our true identity.
Instead of self-preservation, trying to protect ourselves from harm, we put our faith and trust in God for protection and we focus on glorifying God's name.
Instead of self-determination, trying to chart our own course,
we submit to the will of God doing it God's way, not our way.
And instead of the pursuit of self-identity, finding ourselves through lifting up self,
we humble ourselves and we find our true selves through serving others
and through lifting up Christ above self.
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I heard from a fellow Christian talk about a young man
who’d just been called up to go to Iraq, back In the 90's
when our nation had declared war on Saddam Hussein.
The problem for this young man was – he didn’t want to go.
He explained that he hadn’t joined the army to go to war...
he’d joined because of the benefits: the pay, the college tuition, the insurance, etc.
And now he was being called to go do war, and he wasn't ready to let go
of all of that, to fight. He would have to put his education on hold,
and leave his family, and wouldn't be enjoying his nice pay while he was at war.
Now, something’s wrong with that kind of thinking!!
One of the primary functions of the military is to prepare for war.
You’ve got to know this if you sign up!
I’m sure its somewhere in the job description.
Armies do NOT exist to pass out benefits (those are perks).
Armies exists to deal with conflicts.
To defend their people.
To fight the enemy.
And hopefully to contend against evil.
That same kind of mentality can also undermine the church.
Too often believers sign up for the benefits.
We expect Jesus to "be there" for us,
but we don’t expect to "be there" for Him.
We expect to come to the church and be served by the pastor,
served by the ushers, served by the musicians, have
our children served by the Sunday school teachers, but
where are we serving?
We say, Well you know I can't serve on that ministry , I have
to preserve that time on Sunday for my kids,soccer games ,
and oh, I can't come to that Bible study,
that's when we meet at the American Legion for Bingo night,
That is part of my identity, I”m a life long member.
Everyone knows me there.
And I can't donate to the church building fund, the pastor
didn't agree to do the design the fellowship hall my way.
And this brother's and sisters in Christ, is the issue
Jesus is addressing here in Matthew 16.
If we are to be a disciple of Jesus and to follow Him, we can't
hold unto self-preservation, we can't play it safe,
We can't hold on to self-determination, we can't insist on doing it our way,
And we can't hold unto our self-identity, we need to serve others
and receive our identity in Christ, through our connection to the body of Christ
There are no secret service Christian disciples.
Answering the call to discipleship means giving your all, letting go of self-preservation, self-determination,
and self-identity, to find your true life in Christ. And this is more than worth it.
Jesus said to his disciples,
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants
to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25
Let us pray.
