Iliff and Saltillo UM church
Second Sunday of Lent
February 20, 2005
“The Cost of Following Jesus”
Mark 8:31-38
INTRODUCTION: At the beginning of this chapter we see 4000 people fed with 7 loaves of bread and a few fish. Jesus told his disciples to feed the people and when they said, “yes, but how?” he gave the miracle. Later some Pharisees wanted to see a SIGN as proof. Jesus refused them a sign. At Bethsadia Jesus healed a blind man. He continually ministered to the crowds AND to the individual. All of these events were leading up to the cross. There were so many things people did not understand. Jesus wanted to know how people perceived Him. He asked the question, “Who do men say that I am?” He got various answers:
John the Baptist
Elijah
one of the prophets
Then Jesus asked Peter--”Who do YOU say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” From this point on, Jesus started to teach them about things leading up to His death.
1. The Son of man must suffer many things
2. be rejected of men
3. be killed
4. rise on the 3rd day.
Peter strongly objected. He said, “Not if I have anything to do about it. This won’t happen to you.”
Jesus recognized the same temptation coming to him as he had heard in the wilderness. The temptation to not complete his mission. He told Peter, “Go away from me Satan, you don’t care about the things of God, you’re only seeing things in human terms.”
At this point Jesus spoke to the large crowd and also to the individual. They all had the same opportunity to hear and to respond. He said to all of them--his closest disciples and to the crowd on the fringe. “If anyone would come after me he must do three things:
1. deny himself
2. take up his cross
3. follow me
1. To DENY Oneself: Means more than giving up something for Lent. Some people will say, “I’m giving up chocolate candy for Lent or I’m giving up smoking or I’m giving up e.mail. Some even pick out something that is not difficult to give up--something they never do anyway--like “I’m not wearing my snow boots to bed or I’m giving up skydiving for Lent.” Although you could deny yourself something such as this, Jesus was talking about something different from that. He was talking about the process of becoming His true disciple. IF anyone wants to be my disciple then he has to be different from what he is now. The people in the crowds had no real commitment to him--his disciples were on the way but even Peter had a lack of understanding.
What does the word DENY mean anyway? The Greek word used here is a strong word. It is the same used for when Peter denied Jesus in the courtyard--it means to state that you have NO CONNECTION with something--to state that you are not connected in ANY WAY to whatever is in view. Deny here is not the same as what we usually mean by self denial when we are giving up SOMETHING.
Jesus is talking about giving up OUR SELF SUFFICIENCY--our right to handle our life by ourself without any regard for what God wants.
The Message Bible says, “anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat. I AM”
I Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “You are not your own; you are bought with a price.” Jesus is saying, “if you are going to follow Me, you no longer own yourself.” He has ultimate rights. He has Lordship of your life.
People say, “I don’t want ANYONE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO--NOT EVEN GOD.” What makes us like this? The writer of a book called The Art of Being a Big Shot says it is our PRIDE that makes us want to be independent of God. We want to run our own lives, call our own shots and do our OWN THING. We say, “I’ll do it MY way.”
Jesus is saying, “No, if you intend to follow me then, I’m in charge. God, not self must be at the center. They would need to quit making SELF the object of their life. Jesus told them, “If anyone wants to follow me he must say, “NO” to the things he wants and “YES” to the things I want.
STORY: Glen Plashin in his book Turning Point tells of an incident that occurred during his senior year in college during the Great Depression. His family didn’t have the money for his first quarter’s tuition. His father said, “Don’t worry son, we’ll go to the bank and I’ll sign your note to get the money. The next day the banker said, “I’m sorry but without collateral we can give no loans--no exception to the rule.”
There seemed to be no way Glenn could go back to college even though the tuition back then was only $20.00. The day before he was to leave for school a big truck backed up into their driveway and two men got out and laid some boards down from the truck to the front porch. He wasn’t there that afternoon, but he heard about what happened.
There was one thing his mother loved more than anything else she had in the house--it was her Gulbranson piano. It was the only nice thing in the entire house. The men rolled the piano out of the house and into the truck and handed his Mother a twenty, a ten, and a five. His father threw his arms around her as the truck drove away with the prized piano. His Mother cried, and cried, and cried.
“Son, you can go back to college tomorrow,” replied his Father. “Your Mother sold her piano.”
When he handed Glenn the moeny, Glenn thought, “That’s what God’s love is like. God gave his most precious possession, His Son.”
When Jesus said that those who would follow him must deny themselves, he was asking no more of them than he was willing to give himself.
Ask yourself, “Where does Jesus’ way conflict with my way?” Are we willing to make the pursuit of God more important than the pursuit of what we want? Maybe yes, maybe no.
Jesus puts this to us on the second Sunday of Lent--”if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself--giving up the right to run his life as he pleases and allowing the Lord to take over.” We are under NEW MANAGEMENT.
2. Take Up HIS Cross: What does take up the cross mean? Some people think they are taking up the cross when they are suffering with sickness and disease. Others think it is suffering some trial or hardship. People will say, “That’s my cross.” We all want the CROWN without the CROSS. Peter and the others wanted Jesus to be King without having to go to the cross. They didn’t want him to suffer pain or rejection or die. Peter was ready to receive the glory but not the persecution. Peter only saw part of the picture. That’s the way we are too.
II Timothy 2:12 says, “If we suffer--endure--we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us.”
The Romans knew what shouldering a cross meant. A person carried his own cross signifying his submission to Rome’s power. Jesus used carrying a cross to illustrate the submission required to follow him. He was not saying we should seek out pain needlessly but that we would be WILLING to carry our OWN cross one day at a time to do his will even when the work is difficult. Even when we are humiliated, rebuffed, or treated unfairly. Even when our pride is hurt.
STORY: In February, 1943, the USAT Dorchester loaded with 902 servicement was moving across the icy waters toward an American base in Greenland. A German submarine fired and struck the ship. The ship’s captain gave the orders to abandon ship. Panic and chaos broke out. People jumped into lifeboats. Through all the confusion four Army chaplain brought hope to the soldiers.
There was George Fox, a Methodist Chaplain
Alexander Goode, Jewish
John Washington, Roman Catholic
Clark Poling, Dutch Reformed
They went out among the soldiers offering prayers for the dying and encouragement for those who would live. They began handing out life jackets. There were no more life jackets left--four frightened young men stood there. The four chaplain took off their own life jackets and handed them to the men. Of the 902 men on board, 672 died including the four chaplain.
In 1951 President Truman dedicated the Chapel of Four Chaplains in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. It was established as a National Memorial in honor of these four men. There is a project to rebuild the chapel.
In the scripture Jesus tells them that each person must take up HIS own cross--even though difficult. These four chaplains were able to do that. We are not asked to take up A cross or the cross or someone else’s cross--but our own.
How can we do this? In Luke’s account it says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow me. I think that is the secret--taking on your responsibilities DAILY--doing what God asks of you one day at a time. Taking up your OWN CROSS--not taking on the responsibilities of everyone else--but your OWN. You do not have to take ownership for other people’s responsibilities when they try to put their crosses on you and make you feel guilty.
Matthew 10:38 says, “Anyone who does not take HIS cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
Luke 14:27 says, “Whoever does not bear HIS cross and come after me can’t be my disciple.”
3. ...AND FOLLOW ME: this means OBEY me. Let following him become your way of life--not just when you feel like it, but DAILY.
STORY: Doug said to his friend, Joey, “My Sunday school teacher said I should follow Jesus---but I’m not even allowed to leave the yard.”
We have permission to leave the yard. Jesus is saying, “Follow me and I will show you how. Do we say, “I can’t follow Jesus. It’s too difficult. I don’t know how.” Could we start by BEING WILLING? Could we do it ONE day at a time?
CONCLUSION: What happens when we do choose to follow Him? He says whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it. (vs. 35). You will not waste your life by following him. Can you be a Christian and not be a disciple? Probably not a very happy one or productive one.
Where does Jesus’ way conflict with your way today? What do you stand to lose by following Jesus? What do you stand to gain?
Let us Pray:
