1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,280 Our sermon title this morning is How the Cross Leads to Glory. 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,320 Sometimes in life we make a statement or a sentence. 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,560 There seems to be a contradiction in what we say. 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:19,280 How does the word cross understanding from a biblical 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,840 perspective? How does the word cross and 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,720 glory? When we understand the biblical 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,160 concept of glory, how does that work together? 8 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:34,840 How does that even work? We here in our culture, things 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,320 like no pain, no gain. We understand what that means. 10 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,960 If you want to make the grade, you have to study or you want to 11 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,400 achieve a certain status in the workplace, you have to prove 12 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,720 yourself and so on. But we want to do as little pain 13 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:54,120 with as much gain as possible, as little sacrifice, as much 14 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,120 reward as possible. Want the lots of glory, little 15 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,200 little pay, kind of how we think as human beings. 16 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,440 Or if possible, avoid the hardship all together and just 17 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,560 just take the glory part That's easy. 18 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:12,880 That's the desire. That's not how life works, at 19 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,960 least not if it works normally in the context of our world 20 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:18,680 today. When Speaking of the Christian 21 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:23,280 faith, the path to glory is through the cross sacrificial 22 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,880 journey. And there's a it's a journey 23 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,200 that many people start and don't finish. 24 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,320 And it's a path that when it finally gets to the point where 25 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:40,040 glory is reached, all that stuff and fluff in this world, it just 26 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,280 kind of falls away, has less meaning and less influence and 27 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,480 let just doesn't mean much anymore and just kind of just 28 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,520 drifts away. And at the end, we just want 29 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,840 that central core value of being with Jesus in relationship with 30 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,760 him. For the believer, the path to 31 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,920 glory is the way of the cross. There are no exceptions and no 32 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:05,360 exemptions For some time. That cross journey may be short 33 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,440 because they repent at the last phase of life, but they have to 34 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:10,560 at one point in time say, look, I'm done. 35 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:18,800 I quit, I surrender, I die. The path of the cross was not 36 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,520 popular when Jesus first walked this earth, when when he 37 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,080 introduced it. It's not popular now in our time 38 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,000 of easy religion, quick and fun and easy worship. 39 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,040 In the Gospels, Jesus called us to a life of surrender to his 40 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:34,960 mission. So we're continuing our sermon 41 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,000 series in the Gospel of Mark, and we left off last Sunday 42 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,400 where Jesus asked his disciples, who do people say that I am? 43 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,680 And some they said, oh, some say you're Elijah the prophet, one 44 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:46,400 of the prophets, John the Baptist and so on. 45 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:49,360 Who do you say I am? And Peter said, you're the 46 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,120 Christ. That's where we left off last 47 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,960 Sunday. And I mentioned that here now 48 00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,200 because that was a high note. Jesus had been teaching his 49 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,720 disciples in the crowds and Jesus was now getting ready to 50 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,520 go deep in his teaching. And you go to the, he was going 51 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,520 to go to the foundation of what he was here for and anybody who 52 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,600 wants to join him. And the commentary is right that 53 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,080 there's a shift that happens between last Sundays where we 54 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,040 stopped and today where we pick up. 55 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,320 There's a, there's this watershed point that's kind of a 56 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,360 peak point there. And up to this point, there was 57 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,720 nothing about suffering really in the Kingdom of God. 58 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:30,680 Sure, it was there, but Jesus wasn't talking about it or 59 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,280 hadn't talked about it yet. Not according to not the way 60 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,600 Mark writes his gospel. Peter had recognized, confessed 61 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,000 Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, and he was, he is. 62 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,280 But today things shift. So I want you to take your 63 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,760 Bibles, whatever you're reading, and let's read Mark chapter 8, 64 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,760 beginning verse 31 all the way to the other chapter, Chapter 9, 65 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:54,560 verse one. And it reads. 66 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:01,200 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many 67 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,480 things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and 68 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,840 scribes and be killed. And after three days, rise 69 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,880 again. And he spoke this word openly. 70 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,200 Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 71 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,120 But when he had turned around and looked at his disciples, he 72 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:23,200 rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind me, Satan, for you're not 73 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,680 mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. 74 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,800 When he had called the people to himself with his disciples also, 75 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,480 he said to them, Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny 76 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,600 himself and take up his cross and follow me. 77 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,000 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it. 78 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,360 But whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospels will 79 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,240 save it. For what will it profit a man if 80 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,720 he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? 81 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,480 Or what will a man give an exchange for his soul? 82 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,080 For whoever is ashamed of me in my words, in this adulterous and 83 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,560 sinful generation of him, the Son of Man will also be ashamed 84 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,480 when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. 85 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,440 And he said to them, assuredly, I say to you that there are some 86 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,160 standing here who will not taste death till they see the Kingdom 87 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,760 of God present with power. If we pause here and reflect 88 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,120 what had happened and had been happening up to this point, up 89 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,200 to chapter 8, verse 31, what happened happening up to that 90 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,160 point, it was great. It was good. 91 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:27,960 I mean, Jesus, he'd been healing the sick, He'd been forgiving 92 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,560 people of their sins. He had, he had shown himself 93 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,080 powerful. And these disciples who'd been 94 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,360 called to follow him left, had left their day jobs and Jesus 95 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:38,880 said he was going to make them fishers of men. 96 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,040 It was all good. They developed a trust for him, 97 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,200 Jesus. The next logical step was let's 98 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,560 crown him king. And if you read John's Gospel in 99 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:53,720 chapter 5, that's what it says there that the John chapter 5 100 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,880 defeating of the 5000. It says there Jesus perceived 101 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,120 they were going to come by force and make him king. 102 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,080 Jesus dismissed the crowd, went up to the mountain to pray and 103 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:03,760 the disciples from the sea. And of course, there's that 104 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:04,920 story about the boat and all that. 105 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:07,680 And he came walking in the water. 106 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,600 There were some great and awe inspiring, you know, fearful 107 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,480 moments. But in general with Jesus, it's 108 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:16,880 just all good, just good. And they're in awe of him. 109 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,800 He's a man worth following everywhere. 110 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,760 Everything that started good was going good, and he was on a 111 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,160 steady climb upward. And then in verse 31, we see a 112 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,120 shift. He's beginning to teach his 113 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,120 disciples something that they had not heard of before. 114 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,760 He's using language that the normal person of the day found 115 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,440 very disturbing and unsettling and just jarring and grating on 116 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:42,560 their minds. This is not what's supposed to 117 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,800 be. I think if I had been a disciple 118 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:47,520 of his, a fisherman that followed him, I too would have 119 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,360 said what's going on? And some serious questions begin 120 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:52,720 to emerge out of this whole thing. 121 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:58,520 It doesn't sound good, but it was this kind of teaching that 122 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:02,880 would reveal who the true, real, genuine followers of Jesus were. 123 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:05,200 So let's pick this passage apart. 124 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,600 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many 125 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,360 things and be rejected by the elders of the chief priests, 126 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:14,840 priests and scribes and be killed. 127 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,160 And after three days, rise again. 128 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,880 He spoke this word openly. We can just imagine the 129 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:23,880 disciples full of anticipation every day with Jesus. 130 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,120 What's going to do today? What's going to happen today? 131 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,480 And, and even the forces of nature bowed to him. 132 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,760 And Jesus can shut the Pharisees up and he can multiply bread, 133 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,680 and I think they're on a roll. And now Jesus starts talking 134 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,840 about stuff that nobody wants to hear. 135 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,160 They can't believe their ears suffer. 136 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:49,360 The Son of Man, meaning Jesus himself must suffer like hammer 137 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,640 blows. These words come and rejection. 138 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:54,600 What's that? I'll be killed never. 139 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:57,520 It doesn't sit well with the disciples. 140 00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,600 You can just imagine the bunch. They're just talking what's 141 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,320 talking about. Peter, as he often did, speaks 142 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,040 up, objects to what Jesus saying. 143 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:06,480 He has more insight than anybody else. 144 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:12,280 He thinks what Jesus trying to communicate is #1 the path of 145 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:17,120 glory includes suffering. The message of Jesus at this 146 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,400 point is turning downward, so to speak. 147 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,480 He's he's saying the Son of Man meaning himself. 148 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,600 The phrase the Son of Man refers to Jesus here, and the 149 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,320 commentators suggest that this refers to authority. 150 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,200 He's an authoritative figure now, authoritative figure and 151 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,960 suffer. How do you reconcile that? 152 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,720 He suffered many things. He said something's off here. 153 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:48,640 And this whole thing about the cross, this is not going well. 154 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,000 See, the Jews had the idea that the Christ, the Messiah was 155 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,920 going to come and set everything straight to establish an earthly 156 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,600 Kingdom like it had been under King David many centuries 157 00:08:57,600 --> 00:08:59,920 before. Israel had been one united 158 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:02,760 nation, politically strong, economically sound and 159 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:05,160 spiritually well and all those good things. 160 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:10,400 This does not sound like that, doesn't sound appealing at all. 161 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:12,120 Who wants to join something like that? 162 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,400 Suffering doesn't sound like ruling and authority and 163 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:20,640 Kingdom. Suffering sounds like defeat and 164 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:27,200 discouragement and and death. The suffering Jesus mentioned 165 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,920 here is not the suffering of loss of maybe getting cancer or, 166 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,360 or losing 1's jobs. Not the suffering he's talking 167 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,000 about. It's suffering in the sense that 168 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,160 because somebody doesn't like what he was doing, they're going 169 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,280 to turn against him. Suffering inflicted by people 170 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,120 who didn't like him, who wanted him gone. 171 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,800 Rejection that's being pushed aside and not valued, not 172 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,880 wanted. The disciples had would again 173 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,000 later come face to face with their own lack of understanding 174 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,080 there. They didn't understand this. 175 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:58,800 What's he talking about? And the source of it, well, 176 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:00,280 that's going to come from the wrong place too. 177 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:01,680 It's not going to be the criminals who are doing it. 178 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,720 The top guys in their system, the chief priests and the 179 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,400 Pharisees and the scribes, the lawyers, the teachers, the 180 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:09,520 professors, they would reject him. 181 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:14,280 He's telling them all this, and if that's not enough, then 182 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,160 they're going to kill him. He's going to be dead. 183 00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:22,600 This doesn't make sense. Death is not what we're after. 184 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,000 We want to live, not just we want to have a good, not just 185 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,280 going to want to be in power and authority and rule. 186 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,560 And this raised from the dead, while that's so far above their 187 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,720 mental capacity, they don't even think about that. 188 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,920 And then later on, when Jesus did die and did rise, they 189 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:36,960 didn't know what he was talking about. 190 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,040 They had to see it first. They had no idea for the 191 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:45,280 disciples when Jesus spoke about this, what's going to happen? 192 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:50,600 We can just feel the tense feeling, the tenseness and the 193 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:52,920 Peter perhaps maybe his blood is rising. 194 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:54,760 This is not blood pressure. This is not good. 195 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:57,720 He's coming very disturbed, no peace. 196 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,520 And he's he's rattled and he's got to do something. 197 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,920 And so he did. He did something he didn't think 198 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:08,000 through very well. Quite a shallow ignorance, we 199 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,360 could say that was Peter's lot kind of in that day and age had 200 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:15,640 a quick tongue, blind courage, not thinking through very well 201 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,760 what he was going to say and this was a tough spot. 202 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,000 He had no I'll intent by the way. 203 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,200 He just want to make this thing's not going to derail. 204 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,000 This whole salvation plan is not going to derail. 205 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:26,720 He want to make sure that Jesus is going to get it right. 206 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,320 Have to help him out. You know, how many times in life 207 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:34,240 do we do that in our blind ignorance and short sightedness 208 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:36,640 and blind spot of life. We just want to help God out a 209 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:41,360 little bit and we do things that we know we should maybe think 210 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:45,080 through 1st and we just do things that are just just, we 211 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:46,360 just wish we hadn't done them later on. 212 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:50,360 And Peter does that and says in verse 32, then Peter took him 213 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,680 aside again to rebuke him. Lord, just hold it a little bit. 214 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,320 Lord, this is not good. Lord, we're not going to do 215 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:58,800 that. This is not going to happen to 216 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,200 you. And obviously Peter and Jesus 217 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,360 have vastly different perceptions of reality. 218 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,200 Jesus goal is to walk this path. He came to this earth for this 219 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:10,680 reason. His mission was to serve, to 220 00:12:10,680 --> 00:12:13,920 teach, to suffer and die as a give his life as a ransom for 221 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,240 the sins of the people. And Jesus wants them to know 222 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,240 that and the crowd to know that. The suffering teaching part, 223 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,920 that was something the apostles had no problem with what Peter 224 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,480 and the problem with was this suffering component doesn't fit 225 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,320 Lord, it doesn't work. No, no, you're not going to 226 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:29,200 suffer. You're not going to die. 227 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,080 And remember, this Kingdom thing is not going to work that way. 228 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:37,680 So rebuke Jesus. Imagine that sometimes when we 229 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:39,040 open our mouth, it doesn't take long. 230 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,520 We so wish we hadn't. That all happens. 231 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:44,440 I think here one person made this comment. 232 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:46,440 He said the less people know, the more stubbornly they know 233 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:51,880 it. I think that's true, often true. 234 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:56,520 The Apostle Peter fit that at that time, he just, this is not 235 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,520 going to happen and it would take till Pentecost. 236 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,360 He'd be filled with the Holy Spirit and he would understand. 237 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,440 It would have been far better for Peter to just say nothing 238 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,920 than to say anything at all. But it's there for our reason 239 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:11,680 and that we learned something from it. 240 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,280 And the Bible has more passages like that, especially in verse 241 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,360 in the Old Testament. Proverbs 1728 says even a fool 242 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:19,320 is counted wise when he holds his peace. 243 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,600 When he shuts his lips, he's considered perceptive. 244 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,240 I've been fascinated with that word verse since I read it when 245 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,880 I was a boy. I don't want to go as far as 246 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,360 Peter's a fool, but Jesus did call him Satan. 247 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,560 He did call him Satan. And how a person responds always 248 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:43,280 reveals an insight into the heart of the person. 249 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,760 Peter would have been so wise to say, Lord Jesus, I don't 250 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,160 understand. Am I missing something explained 251 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,040 please, I'm, I'm, I'm not getting it. 252 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:56,320 That would have been wise. Proverbs 1813 also says he 253 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:58,160 answers a matter before he hears it. 254 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,040 It is folly and chained him. So yes, Peter would have been so 255 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,080 wise to just surrender for I don't get this Lord, what are 256 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:08,040 you talking about? Some scholars say that Mark got 257 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:09,640 his gospel from the apostle Peter. 258 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,680 I don't say one way or another. I don't know, but let's say he 259 00:14:12,680 --> 00:14:14,040 didn't. I believe it's possible. 260 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:17,480 If it was Peter, then Peter was a changed man when he shared 261 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,760 with Mark what happened because he shares with Mark everything. 262 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:26,160 If that's the case, his failings and his foolish comments and 263 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,320 Peter did make some serious errors and judgement when it 264 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,440 came to him and Jesus. And you see only just a few 265 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,000 verses before Peter had said to Jesus, you're the Christ, the 266 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,800 Son of God, and now he's trying to set Jesus straight. 267 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:40,000 You ever feel like Jesus not getting it? 268 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,080 It happens. People sometimes feel God is not 269 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,880 getting it. That is not the case. 270 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:48,240 It's never God is not getting it. 271 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,320 It's our lack of understanding, our lack of insight that's the 272 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:53,520 problem. And sometimes God is not about 273 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,680 to explain to us. He wants us to trust him. 274 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,240 In this case, Peter knew that. He knew. 275 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:01,240 He's going to make sure Jesus knows too. 276 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,320 So he rebukes Jesus, but no sooner had Peter started 277 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,200 rebuking Jesus, he just turns around from having heard Peter 278 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:10,520 talk to him, rebuking him and Jesus spoke to the whole group. 279 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:12,360 He doesn't just talk to Peter, I have something to say to you. 280 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,440 He talks to the whole crowd, exposing everything if in case 281 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,160 they hadn't heard says, but when he had turned around and looked 282 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,040 at his disciples, he rebuked Peter looking at the crowd 283 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,360 rebukes Peter saying get behind me Satan, for you're not mindful 284 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,240 of the things of God, but the things of men. 285 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:32,160 How's that for promotion? I don't think we have words to 286 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:35,560 describe what must have sounded what this like in Peter's ears. 287 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,560 He must have wished I could just sink into a hole. 288 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:44,440 I shouldn't have said that. Here's Jesus and with Peter and 289 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,360 the crowd in public and Peter had just a few minutes ago on 290 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:48,880 this journey and said, oh, you're the Son of God. 291 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:50,960 And now it has this talk about suffering. 292 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,360 And Peter, you can't this, this has got to change. 293 00:15:54,120 --> 00:16:00,440 And Jesus rebukes him. His you're not mindful of the 294 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:07,920 things of God, but of men. There's an infinite chasm, an 295 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,840 infinite gulf between what Peter said earlier. 296 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:14,720 Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and between what he's 297 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:22,000 saying, rebuking Jesus. Satan was had much more 298 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,640 influence on Peter and much more territory we could say in his 299 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:33,840 mind than Peter even knew. The things of God, the things of 300 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:39,200 men, these are infinitely apart. Jesus has his has his mind set 301 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,240 on a different thing than Peter does. 302 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,920 And these two different perceptions, these two different 303 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,760 things can never and will never meet. 304 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:49,640 What Peter said a few moments earlier, what Jesus saying now 305 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,240 this was, could not and cannot be reconciled. 306 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,240 See in Peter's world, suffering glory does not have to. 307 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,600 I mean, suffering, glory does not go together. 308 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,600 Glory does not have to go through suffering, hasn't come 309 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:06,000 through suffering. But Jesus says, yeah, suffering 310 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,200 and glory does go together. Peter's perception of glory was 311 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,359 wrong. Peter's perception was power, 312 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:19,160 Conquer and rule Jesus to suffer, serve and teach and die 313 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,880 and rise. We're not that different people 314 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,119 live good lives and thinking that will eliminate suffering 315 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:27,400 from their lives. But it doesn't. 316 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:31,560 It attracts it. Think of the story of Job. 317 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,680 If Job had not lived the good life he lived, Satan may not 318 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,600 have accused God of protecting, or this argument between Job and 319 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,600 God might not have happened. Think of that story where God is 320 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:44,720 doing something good. Evil will come around trying to 321 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:50,440 do influence or destroy it. Are we more mindful of what 322 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,840 Jesus calls the things of men, the temporal things of this 323 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,520 life, than the things of God? How do we know? 324 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,680 And it can even be in our religious worship. 325 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:03,480 It's in it's in our secular rule all the time, the things we do. 326 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:05,600 There's the kind of the world and the mind of God. 327 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,200 But it it didn't filter it into the church. 328 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,240 Even he had a blind spot. Peter had a blind spot and 329 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,000 Peter's mind, Jesus was not making sense. 330 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:20,480 He doesn't want Jesus to suffer and be rejected and die, and 331 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,680 never mind about that rising thing, because that's not going 332 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:24,520 to happen if he doesn't die. So we don't need that. 333 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:30,520 It's entirely possible to be absolutely correct in one thing 334 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:36,800 and absolutely wrong in another. Just as Peter was right in who 335 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:40,480 Jesus was, Peter was wrong in what he believed the path for 336 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,520 Jesus was. We must be so careful to remain 337 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:49,040 teachable, open and receptive and humble to the truth. 338 00:18:49,360 --> 00:18:52,960 We are always in learning mode. We don't get to tell Jesus what 339 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,800 to do. And at this point in this, in 340 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,280 this story, we could just drop the whole thing and say, OK, 341 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,480 yeah, good, done that. Now Peter knows and the crowd 342 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:02,960 knows, and so we can move on, right? 343 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,720 Jesus had just corrected Peter, knocked him down a few notches 344 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,240 where he should be. Now life goes on, correct? 345 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,840 Nope, Jesus did not stop with rebuking Peter. 346 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,280 Jesus went on to teach not just the disciples. 347 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,680 Now he talks to the whole crowd. Verse 34, when he had called the 348 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,160 people to himself with his disciples also, he's got the 349 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,120 crowd. Now He says to them, whoever 350 00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:27,040 desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his 351 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,520 cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save his 352 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,200 life will lose it, But whoever loses his life for my sake and 353 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,520 the gospels will save it. Now it's not just him, now it's 354 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,760 everybody. It says verse 36. 355 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,240 For what would a profit a man if he gains the whole world and 356 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,720 lose his own soul? Or what will a man give in 357 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,360 exchange for his soul? For whatever is ashamed of me 358 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:51,200 and my words and this adulterous and sinful generation of Him, 359 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,480 the Son of Man also will be ashamed when he comes in the 360 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,520 glory of His Father with the holy angels. 361 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,560 Jesus makes it an either or situation. 362 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:05,200 It's not one and the other. It's either or with him or 363 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,440 without him, with him or against him. 364 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,320 Not just did Peter not succeed in turning Jesus away from the 365 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,240 suffering part and kind of paving the way for glorious rise 366 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,640 to power, now Jesus lumps everybody in it. 367 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:22,520 Everybody's going to have to do this. 368 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:27,200 You see the power, the path to glory is through surrender. 369 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,000 The world would teach the path to glorious rule and power over 370 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,160 others. Jesus looks at the crowd and 371 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:35,920 calls them to himself. Not just the disciples. 372 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:40,120 He says, Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, 373 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,240 take up his cross and follow me. In other words, if there's not 374 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:46,800 full surrender, you won't follow. 375 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,920 What Jesus saying was in direct response to what had just 376 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:56,320 happened between Him and Peter. Let's reflect back a bit again. 377 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:58,640 What was it again that was so wrong with what Peter said? 378 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,640 Peter had the idea things were good and they were good and 379 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,240 things would just get better. Jesus had shown his power. 380 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,480 He could turn loaves into a pile of bread, feed thousands. 381 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,520 He could calm the storms at sea, shut up the Pharisees and heal 382 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,760 the sick. As for Peter, for all he knew 383 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,360 it's going to go from good to great to glory. 384 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,600 One joyride to glory. How many people in this world 385 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:25,320 want that path in life? The rosy dreams of a great 386 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,400 future without any cost involved. 387 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:33,280 They want a They want a road in life that does not lead past the 388 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:35,520 cross. In one way, Peter was right 389 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:40,200 about final glory and power. But Peter got the path to it 390 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,480 wrong. He thought Jesus going to rule. 391 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,960 He was. But the path to that was a path 392 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,280 of hardship, sacrifice, and suffering. 393 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,440 Peter's flesh wanted earthly power and glory. 394 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:59,880 He wanted an earthly Kingdom, but not the way Jesus wanted it. 395 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:04,320 And it's not that Jesus doesn't want his disciples and you and 396 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:07,800 me to share in his glory. He does want that for us, but 397 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,240 it's not an earthly glory. You find that in Romans chapter 398 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,200 8 verse 18 Paul writes for I consider that the sufferings of 399 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:18,120 this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory 400 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:23,200 which shall be revealed in us. There's a glory coming that's 401 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,400 unlike this, any earthly glory ever will be. 402 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,960 And in John we read when Jesus prayed the high priestly prayer, 403 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:32,480 he's praying for his disciples. Read part of that there in John 404 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,400 chapter 17 verse 20 to 22, he says praying to God, I do not 405 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:39,920 pray for these alone, meaning His disciples, but for those who 406 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:42,240 will believe in Me through their word, which isn't us today. 407 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,960 He says in verse 21 that they all may be one as you Father are 408 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:51,960 in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the 409 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:56,040 world may believe that you sent me and the glory which you gave 410 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,440 me I've given them that they may be one as we are one. 411 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,640 God's not against us having glory, but the glory that God 412 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,160 wants to give us is not an earthly glory, and it will not 413 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,400 happen outside a relationship with Him that comes through the 414 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:13,200 cross. We don't get there on our terms. 415 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:19,760 We go there on His terms. So if we want to follow Jesus, 416 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,160 come after Jesus. If we desire that, if we want to 417 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:25,480 share in His glory, you're invited. 418 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:30,400 Welcome. God does want us to come, but 419 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,440 guess what? The sinful nature is not going 420 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:36,120 to be part of it. It has to go, it has to die, and 421 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:40,840 in fact, sin can never inherit glory ever. 422 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,160 Jesus taught it and he lived it out. 423 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,920 Jesus had never committed sin, but even he denied himself. 424 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,920 As an example for us Philippians chapter 2, verse 5 to 11. 425 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:54,880 I won't read that here, but Paul writes to the Philippian church 426 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:59,720 how Jesus having didn't he set his power, his earthly, his 427 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:03,000 heavenly power, glory. Imagine set it all aside, came 428 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:07,160 to us as a man, humbled himself, became a servant, says obedient 429 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,320 to death on a cross. And therefore God exalted him 430 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,480 high above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee 431 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:15,440 should bow and every tongue confess. 432 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:17,840 He took that journey for you and I. 433 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:22,200 He walked it, suffering and death and resurrection. 434 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,400 You see, the glory part sounds great, but isn't there an easier 435 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:28,200 way? No, there's not. 436 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:31,800 How do we live this out in our time? 437 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:33,840 Some people think that to be a Christian, you have to resign 438 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:38,240 yourself to a life of misery. That perception is completely 439 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,120 false because that's not how it works. 440 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:45,560 See, the greatest freedom that a person can have is when a 441 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:50,000 person's perception changes from wanting to live to wanting to 442 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:51,800 live for a higher cause than self. 443 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:53,640 That's where the freedom comes in. 444 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,840 Doesn't mean you can't do fun stuff, but the goal is always 445 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:01,480 higher. The motive is always the glory 446 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:03,160 of God and one's fellow neighbor. 447 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,920 And Jesus says that in verse 35. Whoever desires to save his life 448 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,480 will lose it, But whoever loses his life for my sake and the 449 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,400 Gospels will save it. Not suggesting, not 450 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:19,520 recommending, not might. It will in the Gospels. 451 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:23,480 We cannot do both save our earthly life and our soul 452 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,440 simultaneously. We can choose to lose our 453 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,840 earthly life, sacrifice our earthly life, and we can choose 454 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,600 to follow Jesus. We can't do both. 455 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,920 I'm going to hang on and follow Jesus at the same time. 456 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,120 It's not how it works. So surrender leads to freedom. 457 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:47,480 If our highest earthly goal in life is self preservation, 458 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:53,000 wanting to save ourselves, avoid suffering, then we're on the 459 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,040 wrong path. It's not wrong to want to live, 460 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:01,480 but for what purpose? When we have to choose, we have 461 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,880 to choose. We must choose the path of life 462 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,240 and that's Jesus. And Jesus says again in verse 463 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:11,000 35, again, for whoever desires to save his life, we'll lose it, 464 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,800 but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it and the 465 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,840 Gospels will save it. This verse highlights a truth 466 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,560 that for many people is what we can call a deal breaker. 467 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:25,240 Many people when they get to this point, they, they quit, 468 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:27,320 they turn back. We have a story. 469 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,840 We're going to talk about that further down in the Gospel of 470 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:34,440 Mark when we get to Mark chapter 10, verse 17 to 31, won't go 471 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:35,920 into today, but just tell the story. 472 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,880 I'll read a few verses there. A rich young ruler comes to 473 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:43,000 Jesus and asks Jesus, what do I do to inherit eternal life? 474 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:45,440 Jesus and this young man have a conversation. 475 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:46,680 He's rich, he's young, he's a ruler. 476 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:47,680 That doesn't get better than that. 477 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:50,080 Rich youth ruler. Ruler means power. 478 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,800 So he said he's got wealth. He's and he's got power. 479 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,000 He's a ruler and he's got everything a man can want in 480 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:57,960 verse Mark 10/21 read a few verses. 481 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,160 Then Jesus looking at him loved him and said to him, one thing 482 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,520 you lack go your way, sell what you have, give to the poor and 483 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,440 when you you have treasure in heaven, come and take up your 484 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,320 cross and follow me. OK, he goes right? 485 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,160 Nope. But he was sad at his word went 486 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:15,240 away sorrow for for he had great possessions for this young man 487 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,920 surrendering to Jesus, taking up his cross his path to freedom 488 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:23,160 was too much. The rich young ruler is a case 489 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,400 in point where a man wanted to save himself to doing himself. 490 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:31,000 In his book called Discipleship, Deidrick Bonhoeffer writes when 491 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,080 a Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. 492 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:39,200 He bids him come and die because the end of our life there's 493 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,120 nothing more precious than our soul. 494 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,400 And Jesus says further in verse 36 in the Gospel of Mark, for 495 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:50,880 what would a profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses 496 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:54,320 his own soul? Or what will a man give in 497 00:27:54,320 --> 00:28:00,640 exchange for his soul? Sometimes when people talk about 498 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:03,320 a deal of some kind or a sale of some kind, they call it a 499 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,880 sticker price. People sell themselves all the 500 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:12,520 time, sometimes cheap. Whatever it is that I want more 501 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,720 than I want Jesus, that's my sticker price. 502 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,040 And when you think of it, how many in society sell out cheap? 503 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:23,280 They're people who want to go to heaven. 504 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,120 They want to go to heaven, just not that way. 505 00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:31,360 They want to go to heaven, not lose their soul, but they want 506 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:35,560 the pleasures of this world too. So they try to play it safe. 507 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,560 Just enough of Jesus to not be lost, but little enough so that 508 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:42,000 worlds of his room too. That's false. 509 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:47,240 That doesn't work. Playing it safe, claiming faith 510 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,360 in Jesus, then with our lives, denying Him is not real. 511 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,640 He says verse 38. For whatever is ashamed of me 512 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,280 and my words and this adulterous and sinful generation of Him, 513 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:01,480 the Son of Man will also be ashamed when He comes in the 514 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:03,160 glory of His Father and the holy angels. 515 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,720 There is a pivotal decision moment in everyone's life. 516 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,000 There comes a point in time when we have to decide and we do 517 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:16,000 decide. Just avoiding it is a decision 518 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,480 already. Once we are confronted with the 519 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,320 reality of Jesus, we all choose one way or another. 520 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,720 The path to freedom is the path of the cross and it's the only 521 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,120 path that leads to freedom and it's a path that has no 522 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:35,080 shortcuts and no detours. There's no easy way or quick 523 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,680 way, and there are no detours on the road to glory. 524 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,400 Again, a quote attributed to Diedrich Bonhoeffer reads 525 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:47,000 There's no way to peace along the way of safety. 526 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:51,200 Peace means giving oneself completely to God's commitment. 527 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:58,440 Battles are won when the way leads to the cross and what it 528 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,440 comes down to. There comes a point in life when 529 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:05,560 we finally realize what looks like our greatest loss in the 530 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:07,840 end turns out to be our salvation. 531 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:11,840 For as Jesus, as both God's Son and as a man, the road to the 532 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:14,960 cross was not easy. We may sometimes be tempted to 533 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:18,320 think, well, oh, Jesus was Jesus, God's Son. 534 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:20,440 He knew everything and what he was getting into. 535 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,480 And but that didn't make it easier for him as a man. 536 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,640 He was a young man. He agonized and prayed that he 537 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,600 would be spared this awful death, but surrendered himself 538 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:31,240 to the Father and the rest is history. 539 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:36,040 His disciples witnessed it. And today that stands for us. 540 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:40,000 We have this assurance if we surrender our lives to him, we 541 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,120 will live for him with him in glory for eternity. 542 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:49,160 And when we come to him on his conditions, then even though 543 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:52,680 it's suffering, even though it's painful, there's peace and 544 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,360 there's blessing. And Jesus gave them some words 545 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:56,720 of comfort in Chapter 9, verse 1. 546 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,960 He said, I surely say to you, there's some standing here who 547 00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:02,600 will not taste death till they see the Kingdom of God present 548 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,760 with power. There's much has been written 549 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,120 about this verse and many commentators write about it, 550 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:10,240 have written about it and many different ideas about it. 551 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,360 And what does it mean? There's some standing here who 552 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:15,640 will not taste death till they see the Kingdom of God present 553 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,320 with power. Was Jesus saying he's going to 554 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,480 come back and and inaugurate an earthly Kingdom? 555 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,720 Some want to allude to that. Jesus was going to return and 556 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:27,320 Mark must have thought that. And then some interpretations 557 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,080 are just downright strange. But there's one that I believe I 558 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,720 would agree with the most. Jesus was explained to his 559 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:35,320 disciples, this power and this Kingdom is going to happen 560 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:37,680 really soon. It's going to come. 561 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:40,600 You're not going to even die. Some of you are not going to die 562 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:44,080 before this happens. I believe it was the Pentecost 563 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:48,240 happened, then the lights went on, then the darkness lifted. 564 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:52,040 Then it was clear, this powerful thing, the Spirit was there in 565 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,840 power, convicting the people, the people of Jerusalem. 566 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:56,800 The gospel was grabbing a hold of them. 567 00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:58,000 They were convicted of their sin. 568 00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,600 They repented and the church grew in one day. 569 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:04,000 By 3000, and the forces of government religion were no 570 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,120 match for it. The church in the next few 571 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,280 centuries impacted the whole Roman Empire. 572 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:13,240 What was consistent in that day and age? 573 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:17,120 The church spread the message of the cross, promising eternal 574 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:18,880 life for freedom to all who embrace the message. 575 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,320 The actual outworkings of the spreading of the gospel. 576 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:23,560 It's interesting how it happened. 577 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:26,560 The Gospel was preached in the Roman Empire from city to city. 578 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:29,560 But you know what the secret was of its success? 579 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:35,720 It was lived out in a context of suffering self denial. 580 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,600 I listened to when speaker make a comment this last week and he 581 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,520 said it was the way the Christians treated other people. 582 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:44,000 Sure the gospel message was there. 583 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,000 That's what it started. It's the gospel and then they 584 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:49,400 lived it out how they lived out their gifts of hospitality and 585 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:52,080 to their neighbors and how they lived in in the presence of each 586 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:54,000 other and to one another and their neighbors. 587 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,680 That's what really impacted the culture. 588 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:00,360 The path of glory to glory is through suffering. 589 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,160 It's through sacrifice, it's through surrender. 590 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:07,760 And that is how this message has a message still is today and how 591 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:11,000 the Kingdom spreads. There are a lot of churches, 592 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:13,720 they're gatherings, but are there really churches, 593 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:16,880 collections of people having fun in a good time? 594 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:18,560 And there's no concern for the lost. 595 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:21,880 There's no, there's no mission, there's no feeling of 596 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:25,240 responsibility and obligation for the suffering in the world 597 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:29,240 and joining in that suffering. Peter had the wrong idea, so 598 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,560 Jesus rebuked him. How many of us would Jesus 599 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:38,800 rebuke in our way of life? Jesus explains there's only one 600 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:40,520 way to save one's life. Nuts to lose it. 601 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,360 How's that for encouragement? Well, it's the life we can't 602 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:47,160 afford to keep that we need to give to Him. 603 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:48,760 So we get the one that we can have forever. 604 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,800 There's a well known old hymn that want to close with it and 605 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:54,840 it's called I Am am IA, Soldier of the Cross. 606 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:58,080 It reads like this. Am IA soldier of the cross, a 607 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,360 follower of the Lamb. Shall I fear to own his cause, 608 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:05,880 or blush to speak his name? Must I be carried to the skies 609 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,520 and flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize 610 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:13,400 and sail through bloody seas? Are there no foes for me to 611 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:15,320 face? Must I not stem the flood? 612 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,719 Is this vile world a friend to grace to help me unto God? 613 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:21,719 Sure I must fight if I would reign. 614 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,480 Increase my courage, Lord, I'll bare the toil. 615 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:28,280 Endure the pain. Supported by thy word, Thy 616 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,600 Saints and all this glorious war shall conquer. 617 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:34,000 Though they die, they see the triumph from afar. 618 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:40,719 By faith discerning I When that illustrious day shall rise, and 619 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:43,040 all thy armies shine. And robes of victory through the 620 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:44,800 skies. The glory shall be thine. 621 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:51,520 The path to healing, the path to freedom, the path to peace, and 622 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:55,120 finally the path to glory. All of it comes by the way of 623 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:57,800 the cross. We must ask ourselves today, are 624 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,160 we willing to do that? Walk this path and what are some 625 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:05,560 things in our lives that hinder us, that slow us down and hamper 626 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:07,960 our journey? Maybe there's some things we 627 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,320 have to say no to which we haven't been saying no to. 628 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:12,800 Maybe there's some things we need to start saying yes to 629 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:14,240 which we haven't been saying yes to. 630 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:18,200 Whatever it is, whatever it is that gets between US and Jesus, 631 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:22,920 that is what we must die to. And as we die to the things of 632 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:26,400 this world, we'll find a freedom that we never knew we could 633 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:28,840 have. We'll experience a freedom that 634 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,600 this world knows nothing about, and it only exists in glory. 635 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:35,520 And we'll experience already here, and we'll enjoy it 636 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:38,520 forever. May God give us grace as we make 637 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:42,080 this continuous journey, denying ourselves, taking up His cross, 638 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:44,600 and walking with Him on our path to eternal glory. 639 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:49,840 Let's pray Lord, we have so much to be thankful for. 640 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:51,560 We could not earn our way to heaven. 641 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:53,720 We could not create our way to heaven. 642 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,840 You did it all for us. You came for us to carry a cross 643 00:35:56,840 --> 00:35:58,400 for us. You're an example to us. 644 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:00,400 For now Lord, we continue the journey. 645 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,480 So help us to be live repentant lives, to say yes to you, 646 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:05,960 receive you and walk with You. Deny ourselves. 647 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:08,960 Help us to put our faith and trust in You and live in a 648 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,440 relationship with You. You want us to be in fellowship 649 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,440 with you. May our hearts be surrendered. 650 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:15,480 May we continually deny ourselves. 651 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:17,120 Help us, Lord to surrender ourselves fully. 652 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:18,960 In Jesus name we pray. Amen.