To Be A Hero

To Be A Hero

* Credit to Kenneth Sauer, this is an adaptation from his notes

* Def. of a Hero - a person of great strength & courage who is regarded by others as an ideal or model

* People have many ideas of what a hero is

o Pro Athlete, Business Tycoon, etc

* The concept of hero was better defined during the tragic attacks on 9/11/01

* We began to realize there is a difference in someone who is good at something and someone who puts their life in jeopardy to save others

o Firefighters & Police

o Soldiers

o The 3 men who attacked the high-jackers

* This waking up of America and re-defining of what we call a hero, points us to the ultimate hero - Jesus

* He gave His life for more than a plane full, or a battalion, or a community - for all of mankind

Luke 9:22-26

22 saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."

* Make no mistake, Jesus suffered greatly

* Isa 53 talks in great detail about His suffering

o Despised & rejected by men

o Wounded for our transgressions

o Bruised for our iniquities

o Chastised for our peace

o By His stripes we are healed

o His visage was marred more than any man

* He died traumatic death - not by accident, not for a worthless cause, not for a family member or friend

* But for the whole world and even those who reject Him

* He is the Ultimate Hero

23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

* Jesus proclaims, if we want to consider ourselves a disciple, than we must become Heroes also

* Last week, we examined the ministry of Christ and why the anointing is poured out

* John 14 "He who believes... greater works."

* This week we are seeing the burden of the cross that we are called to bear

* Heb 13:13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

* To be a hero - you must bear the burden of a hero

24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

* You’ve heard it said that, "you can’t take it with you"

* But I would say to you that you have to let it go now

* Let what go? - everything

* To be a hero - your focus must be on the objective, not on personal comfort or gain

* Our objective is the will of God

* When we allow worldly comforts to become our objective - we are losers

* But when we give up our lives, He gives us so much more than we ever expect or think (exceedingly, abundantly)

* ...in this life and even more in the next

* Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

* 2 Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

* What does it all mean?

* When it’s all said and done; was the pursuit of creature comforts worth it?

* Was the pursuit of wealth instead of the will of God worth it?

* Jerry Sillcocks is a New York firefighter and a Christian who helped search for survivors at "ground zero."

* He writes that he and his co-workers called this place the "pit."

* "Almost everywhere I looked, mighty columns of steel were twisted into sad, pointless sculptures, towering over the tragic scene as we worked to find survivors...gray smoke was everywhere...I’m no theologian-I’m a New York firefighter-but I can’t imagine Hell being much worse than the ’pit."

* "I have no idea what Hell is truly like..." "But I’ve seen a place so bad that I want to do everything I can to make sure my friends, family, and neighbors know Jesus and will spend eternity with Him."

* To be a hero we must be selfless - not selfish

26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.