The Challenge of Discipleship - Luke 9:18-27
Gladstone Baptist Church – 8/1/06 pm
The Matrix is an interesting movie in which the characters one by one struggle with the belief that Neo is “The One” who was prophesied about – the One who would save them all from the evil that is the Matrix. In many ways the movie The Matrix tries to tell the gospel story albeit in a science fiction setting. It is about the slavery of all humanity by the machines who use them to power their existence. Human beings live in a pretend world called the matrix which is not real, just as this world is not the ultimate reality – Heaven is.
The main character is Neo who is rescued from the Matrix and who it is said is the promised one who will destroy the evil of the matrix and rescue the last survivers of the free human race who are held up in a fortified city. But it is not easy for others to believe that Neo is the promised one. Many are filled with doubt, though some follow him whole heartedly. I want to show you a clip of a confrontation between Morpheus who believes that Neo is the promised one and his commander – Commander Lock – who doesn’t believe. The Machines are marching on the last human city, Zion, and Lock wants all his soldiers ready to fight to defend it. But Morpheus believes the salvation of the city lies in the hands of Neo. One believes and is ready to die for Neo. The other is skeptical.
Show clip from the Matrix.
Is He the promised one? This was the same question people ask about Jesus? Jesus it is claimed is the promised one who will come and free all of mankind from the slavery of sin. Some accept this and would follow Jesus to their deaths. But many are not as sure. Many are skeptical. Tonight I want to look at a watershed point in Jesus’ ministry – the Confession of Peter. This is the first time one of Jesus’ disciples actually confesses that Jesus is the Messiah – the Promised One who would save them all. You might remember that the disciples were in a 3 year apprenticeship program and at this point of the program, they were in year 3. So you would hope that they were beginning to understand a bit of who Jesus is, especially after the things he’d just been doing. If you look back into Luke’s gospel, you can see some of the incredible things that Jesus had been doing - healing people, driving out demons, raising dead people, feeding 1000’s of people, etc. He was certainly not an ordinary man.
But here at this watershed, he asks his disciples the questions “Who do people say that I am?” Would you open up your Bibles to Luke 9:18 …
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Pray
In this passage, Jesus quizzes his disciples about who they thought he was. This discussion between Jesus and his disciples occurred about 2 years into their training. The disciples had been with Jesus as disciples. They’d been amazed by plenty of miracles. They’d heard some pretty radical teaching. They’d seen Jesus’ reactions to all manner of circumstances and I’m sure that as a result they were different men.
But now Jesus checks in on their understanding. He asks “Who do people say that I am?” He got all sorts of answers – a prophet, a good man, John the Baptist. Jesus then makes it personal … “Who do you say that I am?” And Peter went to the top of the class when he answered – “You are the Christ, the Messiah sent from God.” Peter believed he was following the Messiah. The one sent from God to rescue all people. He believed in Jesus.
But the words that Jesus brings next, shook the disciples to the core. He brought them the “Challenge of Discipleship.” See being a disciple is not a walk in the park. It is challenging and even dangerous. Look at vs 23.
23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after (or follow) me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Jesus lays out before the disciples the cost of being disciples. We’ve talked about this before, but really quickly – being a disciple cost them 3 things - the same 3 things it costs us to follow Jesus today …
1) Denying yourself
What does this mean? It means that Jesus is asking us to step off the throne of our life and begin to deny our own ambitions, desires and wants. Jesus wants to be on the throne of our life and he asks us to deny ourselves and submit ourselves to his control. We live to serve Jesus, not ourselves. Therefore we need to be making sure we put Jesus’ priorities above our own.
2) Taking up your Cross
The second cost involved with being a disciple is taking up your cross. If you lived in Jesus’ day, and you saw someone taking up their cross, you’d realise very quickly that this was a man who was going on a one way journey. Jesus was asking his followers to voluntarily PUT THEMSELVES TO DEATH. Taking up your cross is putting to death your desire to life for yourself. Put to death your self-centredness. Put to death your desire to accomplish your dreams and goals and plans. And when you have killed these things off, don’t bring them back because something that is crucified never returns. This second step is simply reinforcing the first step. Put Jesus on the throne and begin to live for him.
3) Follow Me
The third step of being a disciple is Following the master. That is what a disciple is supposed to do. Follow their master. Students listen to their master, disciples follow and imitate their master. This means we have to get to KNOW Jesus intimately by spending time with him. And also it means BECOME LIKE HIM in every way.
We’ve talked about that before, but tonight, I want to look a bit closer at vs 24-27 at 2 more criteria of disciples … Please read them again with me, starting at vs 23 …
23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after (or follow) me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
A strange lifesaving maneuver
Most of you would have heard these words before. They are a bit of paradox really …
Who ever saves his life, will lose it, who ever loses his life for me will save it.
A bit strange isn’t it … Anyone who tries to save himself will die. But anyone who dies will be saved. Can you just picture it now … A lifesaver tries goes in to save a drowning person and says … Hey just relax, I’m just going to hold your head under water until you drown and stop breathing so that I can save your life. You’d be going – can I have another life saver please. But this is what Jesus is saying – you need to die so that you can have life.
This needs to be read in the context of denying, taking up your cross and following. Remember that a disciple is one who steps off the throne and gives control over to Jesus. It is seeking to live your life for him rather than for yourself. In this context, what Jesus is saying is that you have a choice. You can seek to save your life for yourself and live entirely for your own desires. Or alternatively, you can lose it at is were to your own desires and interests. You can spend your life completely for Jesus and for others.
It is not talking about physical death, but the death of your desires and ambitions as in the previous sentence.
Jesus says, whoever gives up his life to serve me will ultimately gain eternal life with me in heaven. But who ever seeks selfishly to live their own life for their own interests will lose the chance for eternal life.
Paul writes
Gal 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live [No I’ve been crucified, I’m dead to my interests,], but … Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Rom 8:13 For if you live according to the sinful nature [That is the self seeking, self indulging nature], you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
See there is a paradox –die to your own interests and live in heaven forever with God. Indulge yourself and your own desires and you will ultimately die for all eternity.
I mean when you weigh it up, it should be an easy choice …
- Live for God for 70-80 years and enjoy eternity in heaven which is described as
- a happy place – Rev 7:17
- a painless place – Rev 21:4
- a place of light – Rev 22:3-5
- a place of rest – Heb 4:9
- a paradise – 2 Cor 12:2-4
- a place of ultimate satisfaction – Rev 7:16
- or … Live for yourself for 70-80 years and then be condemned to eternity in hell which is described as
- a place of torment – Luke 16:23
- a place of punishment – Matt 25:46
- a place of fire – Matt 13:42, 50, Rev 20:15, 14:10
- a place of worms – Mark 9:44-48
- a place without fellowship – Luke 16:23
- a place of thirst and desire – Luke 16:24-27
I mean when you look at this, how can anyone think that living for yourself now is the best option. They’ve got to be mad, misinformed or deluded to think this way. Jesus asks … What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Even if you did gain the whole world in those short 70 – 80 years, you lose your soul for eternity. Who cares about the whole world. Think logically here people. Which option are you choosing tonight?
If you are choosing to live your life for yourself now, you don’t have much to look forward to tonight. Oh – you are going to get right with God when you are 70 and on your death bed are you? Good plan except that the chances are that you could die before 70 … Men, your life expectancy is 76 years, Women yours is 82. But many of you won’t reach these ages. Here is some data on chances of dying by various ages … Men, If you are between 25-64, you have a 15% chance that you won’t live to reach 65. If you are older than 65, you have a 25 percent chance you won’t live for another 10 years. Ladies, you have slightly better figures at 9 and 14% respectively. Given the stakes, can you really put off making a decision? And anyway what would you gain that would make the risk work taking …
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Jesus here is challenging his disciples to follow him unwaveringly. They have identified him as the Messiah, but now they have to stop talking and start acting. If they are really believing in him, they will act like disciples – they’ll deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. They’ll be willing to give up their life completely and they’ll do one last thing …
They will not be ashamed.
Jesus says … 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
What does it mean to be ashamed of Jesus? It means that we don’t want anyone to know that we are living our life for him. For some that may mean that you pretend to be someone around your Christian friends and you are someone else completely around your non-Christian friends. You live a double life and as such you are not a true disciple. Are you ashamed of Jesus or are you happy for everyone to know that you are a Christian?
If you are ashamed, does that mean that you aren’t admitted to heaven? I don’t think that is the case. Our faith is not works based. We don’t have to live up to a certain standard to get welcomed into heaven. But Jesus is not going to be standing up there proud as punch saying to God “Let me tell you about John here and how he served me enthusiastically, how he defended me before his friends in the crib room, how he lived for me every moment of every day no matter who was around.” Rather, Jesus will say “This is John and he …mfffp mffp is one of mine mffp.”
Jesus will be welcoming his true disciples into his glorious heaven. He will be ashamed though of those of us who have tried to live a double life.
As we start out in 2007, what’s your new year’s resolution? Are you going to follow Jesus as a true disciple? Are you going to make him proud of how you deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow him? By being prepared to lose your life? Are you going to make him proud by your witness for him – by not being ashamed?
2007 is a year of opportunities – who knows, 2007 may be the last year we have on this earth. Let’s determine with all our hearts and minds to be Jesus’ disciples – sold out to him.
