Two Crosses of Christianity

Mark chapter 8 beginning in verse 20 will go art. Verse 27 rather go to verse 38 Mark 827 Jesus went out along with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi and all the way. He questioned his disciples, saying to them what people say that I am. They told him saying what John the Baptist and others say Elijah, but others, one of the prophets, and he continued by questioning the hit them, but who do you say that I am Peter answered and said to him you are the Christ, and he warned them to tell no one about him and he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again and he was stating the matter plainly and Peter took him aside and begin to rebuke him, but turning around and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, get behind me Satan you're not sitting your mind on God's interest, but man's and he summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me forever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospels will save it. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul for what will a man give in exchange for his soul for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels I've entitled this. The two crosses of Christianity. You may have been asked before. Why does your church have two crosses on the steeple while you have two crosses on your sons and on your literature well for the simple reason if there are not two crosses that there's no Christianity. You see, if you have Christ crossed. You still have Christ. But if you don't have someone else taking up their cross to follow Christ you have Christianity Christ Jesus cross that he died on that he gave himself fully so that his church would be redeemed and then the Bible teaches we Saints have our cross that we don't carry Christ cross we carry our court cross. It wouldn't too long ago I saw a fella going down the road and you seem so these guys and he was carrying a big old wooden cross and he's out of the world they go on some these guys go all the way across the country and I'm not saying that that's done metrically wrong, but I am saying this that old wooden crosses already been carried quite well that parts finished and carry our cross today did literally mean were to take up a beam of wood and drag it across town. Actually, they cheat a little bit. One dusting have a wheel on the bottom across the Soviet made you go suffering. Her whole thing, but Tom and again these brothers may mean well and I don't want to be the riding of them, but my point is the saviors crosses the Savior's crossed and he did what he was to do there now we have our cross and that's what this text points out so clearly. First of all about I the saviors cross versus 27 through 33. The Bible tells us here. He's Jesus in verse 27 is going along with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi of the setting here is that this is an area at the base of Mount Herman. It was rude by Herod Philip. It had glorious marble temple dedicated to Caesar Augustus, it was a place if you will, dedicated to the glory of Rome. But Rome's been gone for a long long time. Think what a contrast but the glory of Jesus keep shining forth and will forever, it was a mountain slope area and this is probably a good place for Jesus to do some training and get away from a lot of the crowds and the board. Maybe some of the harassment of the Jewish religious authorities. Here's where he's going to bring out the taxes very plainly that you go to die on the cross and also he's going to bring out very plainly that you are going to have to break carry your cross also.

So that's the setting. Now some point a end of the saviors cross notice the mistaken conclusions of the quote natural" man literally embedding the unsaved man. The man that may be just merely religious. The man that may be just the church member but never truly Savior born again are any man in the culture you got a conclusion about Jesus. Everybody's got a conclusion about what Christianity is and the natural man always comes up with the wrong or with false conclusions about that here we have the same thing in verse 28, it said, and they told him, saying welcome people say you're John the Baptist and others say Elijah others were the prophets previous verse, Jesus says, who are people saying that I am, I submit, it's good news. Jesus, they think you're wonderful. I think your Elijah are John the Baptist, one of the other great prophets of God with there's only one problem with that.

If somebody says you remind them a blog that's probably a complement but is not a complement to the son of God, and God the son is only one like him and that's him he's to be lumped in categories with no one else.

And isn't it just like that today. I mean literally for 2000 years. We have a myriad of people in the world who know something of Jesus but they don't know Jesus. They mess. The Bible says do not have ears to hear their blinded and do not have eyes to see the truth.

The liberals of theological schools and liberal pastors for years have taught such un-biblical nonsense that Jesus maybe was just a good teacher. Here's a good example when they lived unselfishly, so he taught us how to live and he taught us how to love, but they will stop way short of saying he is the substitutionary atonement for man sins they want to stop way short of saying that he's literally God of very God. He's God incarnate. Some will go as far to say well you know the reason why Jesus would walk around and claim that he's God in the flesh was because he was mentally ill and he met well, and he helped some people but the illness, yet he was mentally deranged and that's why goes around saying these things to all this stuff about what people say about Christ and who people deemed Christ to be quite honestly I get very willing, wary of the Jesus of country music and the Jesus of Hollywood with a been hit like a pretzel into some form or shape that fits their own CN in their own subjective narrative or philosophy of life.

But all this can be easily cleared up by stopping the speculation and reading Revelation you say your speculation without Revelation is an abomination and we can remove the speculations in the abominations but the same faithful to the revelation and oldies we stand.

Amen. Man's emotions are this again. This nonsense of our present age where everybody has their own truth would like to think they're saying where God we need no other. I am God.

So what I feel is right is my truth is we have the bizarre insanity of the vileness of of all of these things in our culture of boys claim to be girls and girls boys and and and calling sex between light genders is acceptable in good and honorable. Let's it's just violent. Here's my point. Once you leave God's big rules. What is man, what is woman. What is marriage what is right what is wrong you leave God's big rules and you start down that funnel son. There's no place to stop work this stuff will end in total destruction of our country are great revival back to God more than two was a RT wound will be under being God's church doing God stuff. God's way for God's glory. Amen. I'm going to be in the oasis of sanity and God help us to many of our churches are chasing some of these tangents to nobody ever said it better than the Oxford don CS Lewis, who after his conversion to Christ what he taught at Oxford and he was surrounded by radicals and liberals a set list begun with all this nonsense that Jesus was just a good moral teacher and a good example is that a good moral teacher doesn't walk around everywhere claiming to be God.

That's where he came up with this conclusion saying what you can call him a lunatic is crazy you call him a liar. You can call him Lord, but that's the only options you have a good man didn't go around lying and claiming to be God CS Lewis right Elbert Hubbard said public opinion is the judgment of the incapable of meeting a post of that of the discerning fruit few that's so true with these people of the day and not with wickedness but adjustment. Comment that they just what we think Jesus is this, he's Allied jar are you're John the Baptist regular. The prophet is not sufficient. So we come to number two for forcible, we saw the the mistaken conclusions of the natural man none. Notice the settled convictions of the true disciple a true disciple didn't stop that Jesus is a great manner. Good men are good teacher.

So my we can learn from yes them do it in verse 29 but who do you say that I am in Peter hits a homerun last part of verse 20 ton he said to him you are the Christ. That's the Greek port Savior all the anointed one under the Hebrew equivalent is the Messiah used the word Messiah because this is a Jewish context, and these are Jewish people overwhelmingly so they were following Jesus, the apostles were Jewish men and when Jesus asked those folks who you say that I am there basically saying you are the promised Messiah. You're not just a prophet your fee Messiah. There's only one of those that's who you are. That's where we stand in for us today. The parallel would be. He is my Lord and he is my Savior. He is the Lord, and may Savior. There's no other but he's also personally, my Lord and my Savior. That's the settled conclusion of the true disciple Jesus is not one of several people we follow. He's the only one we fall is not one of several good teachers are moral instructors are RRR exemplary philosophers.

He is our Lord and our Savior, Peter says it very very well. You are the Messiah, your true believers always willing whenever necessary to fly in the face of public opinion and openly express a conviction that is contrary to the masses. Now we're going to see still be in bed very clearly here that these guys didn't understand everything yet they they understood but they still had a long way to go there, like a polish that we see later in the book of acts to who love the Lord was doing right, but it's an blindness about his theology and his doctrine in the Bible says Priscilla and acrylic took a policy side and taught him the things of God more accurately lessor where these guys are there not finished. And by the way were not finished were all still learning and growing. We hold Christ to be the one true prophet of God, who gives us the truth of God who is the truth of God. He is the one true priest of God who is the mediator in the, the one who connects us sinful man with a holy God. The only one who can do that and he is the one true King that we bow to as sovereign and as Lord that's what Peter meant when he said you're the Messiah in verse 39 we see this several times in the Gospels and he warned them strictly admonished to tell no one about him that we all know what the problem is here.

The reason why Doucet okay that's right, but also anything about it. Nothing Jesus in any way shape or fashion somehow ashamed are rejecting the role with the people overwhelmingly wanted him to be kinda Messiah their subjective natural flesh wanted him to be and that included free food and free healing for everyone forever. They like that part faith. They flocked to him for that in and not to mention also Lord to mention let's say that he is going to be the one who would deliver us from this Roman occupation and oppression so they had their own human description and definition of what the Messiah was going to billion. Jesus didn't want this right from the people gathered around him, demanding of him to be that he just get in the way of his real mission to go to the cross to redeem his children, so that's why said don't say anything about that for a while people on the wrong track. This will cause a terrible problem for us as far as what I've been sent here to do now. Thirdly, under the Savior's cross. The startling revelation of a crucified Messiah startling revelation of a crucified Messiah. Verse 31 and he began to teach it means he begins unpacking unfold continued in verse 31 that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priest and the scribes, the Lord, she's not going to be gladly received by the religious authorities in Israel there got I hate him and reject him and he says, verse 31 last part can be killed and after three days rise again so up until this time the text is indicating Jesus had to attend at his coming crucifixion, but he hadn't said much about it. Now he's stating the matter plainly and openly before them, and this was startling to them.

This was shocking to them. They too had hoped and believed he would be this political military leader who would overthrow Roman not Serena. I grinned. Air of success and prosperity and well-being in Israel and he'll do that one day, but not this coming. Now he's predicted that you will be rejected by the religious authorities will not welcome him in and that he will be killed at their hands through the Romans soldiers in the Roman government but nothing filled over these guys are. Think of the faith they had to have faith heard him preach and I heard him teach and I decided to follow him and are you saying he's going to go it be killed. Notice what Peter does in the next verse.

I'm sorry verse 32 and Peter took him aside less birther to and begin to rebuke him first we have Peter. The rock you're the Christ your Messiah right on peters batting a thousand returns right around it and can you can you picture such thing and he's rebuking the son of God, and God the son to his face.

We know from other gospel writers he saying this this very phrase, God forbade it. Lord Michelle never happened to you, you're not going to die how Mark forgot something great and glorious and guided that's not the way to get it done. Jesus Jesus ago to sit down here.

We can help you get this Messiah thing squared away. Basically, with our washing many a young pastor go to churches and follow the Scriptures sure they're not perfect. Assure the shortsighted bit some old boss back. Deacon arrives up in opposing without any biblical authority to send you so you don't know how it works right here son that matter.

How it works around here matter what Jesus says about it. That's what matters. This is a been problem forever. We want to do.

Jesus work, but we will do it our way.

We were involved in the work of the church, but we want to be involved in the work of the church and do it by our message by our ingenuity by our cleverness and creativity, not by what God says. G. Campbell Morgan said the man who lives for Jesus, but shuns God's methods is a stumbling block.

That's why in our core convictions. We say all the time. Glory God focused, Christ honoring and Bible saturated.

That means biblical methods only if we look at the Scriptures. What do we do as a church we look at the Scriptures. What do we do as a wife and and mother is if you look to the Scriptures. What do you do as a husband and a father and an employer. Whatever it might be. We don't get to just cash in our ticket to heaven and then say okay now I get to have my own subjective niche in Christianity know you don't, your to do God's work.

God's way for God's glory so this is been the problem all along. Now verse 33 shows us how the Lord responded.

But turning around and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said get behind me Satan not setting your mind on God's interest, but on man's so Jesus counter review to Peter was prompt and decisive and force it forceful. He didn't pull a punch and he didn't dillydally for a moment that this is very essential for the other disciples and members of the crowd to see that he was not going to let this thinking go any further in his newly formed church here this adequacy of this gathering together of disciples on this point and in this area. Peter had not risen above the level of ordinary natural men.

That's why Jesus says to him, your Satan, he didn't mean you're literally Satan, of course, it doesn't even mean you literally belong to Satan. Here's what he means. This is the kind of stuff. Satan is putting in people's minds, get it out of your mind. Satan is always about lot Jesus but have your own nonbiblical Jesus you love devote yourself to Christ.

Have a less than thoroughly biblical view of who Christ is and what are our art are rollers and following this Christ. Satan is always been behind it so should your acting like Satan. Peter get out of the way. By faith we obey God's methods as we do God's work and we never allow our decisions to be based on human emotion and I say this rather pointedly, but I sent to myself or the pointedly if someone says to me, a pastor, I just don't feel… And I not II think I say least I think a site sometimes I don't care how you feel. I've got 8 to 900 people out there who feel stuff we don't have time find I Herve feels we had got this, I been your pastor for 40 years are five important factors that 40 years we haven't got this done yet to get all your feelings are Don Jeff's feelings. That's why what is so chaotic and contradictory nonsensical advice become their own God is the bows as everybody does what is right in their own eyes. There's only one problem that if you go to be a society, there has to be a core set up of convictions and principles we all agree on. We can't function together. They talk about pluralism in our culture you see him say there's no such thing as pluralism went went went when you call Asante pluralistic society all it's doing is moving from one dominant worldview took contrary dominant worldview you're just in the process of moving and it looks pluralistic, but which Galindo one artisanal landowner humanistic godless worldview in our country keep chasing that rabbit and it only chase it ready for the need to get back over here you will.

Satan really doesn't mind you, being a Christian as long as you live out the cross. That's what Jesus tell them I'm going to cross you said you can't do that.

Let Satan spoil time.

Satan is always behind.

I cross list Christianity is always been the subject. Satan does not mind if you honor Jesus as a great teacher does not mind if you live Jesus as a great healer doesn't mind you have any human sentimentality about the story of Jesus.

Just leave all the cross and he's okay just teach you basic gentle, sweet, loving, meek, humble, caring, helping the oppressed, all Satan loves that, but did not preach the doctrine of the cross. Satan hates the cross member in Matthew chapter 4 were Satan is tempting Jesus and in effect, here's what he says to Jesus. He said Jesus I'll give you all the kingdoms of the world and you will be will be Messiah over everything. Jesus, you had to do this heavenly father's what you can just follow my plan because he's God the world. The Bible says he had. He has limited authority over all the kingdoms of the world's Jesus. I'll give you all the kingdoms of the world. If you just bow down to me and will just skip this whole cross thing didn't say that literally, but that's what he means.

Satan knows of Jesus goes to the cross medially in his powerful vicarious atonement.

The charts for same and sealed for eternity.

Satan will try to keep them from there is insight loose his grasp on so many millions of soul. When the Savior obeyed the father's will and went across.

So this is startling to these disciples. They just didn't grasp it, yet they loved him, but they didn't grasp it yet. List be reminded that Christianity is centered on the O death of Christ became a literal center in the eyes of the father and literally received our wrath in our place. That is not true.

We are nothing but another version of man centered philosophies. But if it is true. Were going great great great things she Christianity without the cross is worthless to say there's no Christianity without the cross phthisis there's no waterfall without water. There's no wind. Without air, the snow forest. Without trees, there's no lightning without electricity Christianity without a cross is heresy. Heresy.

The old liberals used to collect slaughterhouse religion. So be it.

I'll cling my hopes on the Savior of the world's bleeding and dying on an old cross paying my sins and appeasing the father's wrath for me.

Well, that's the Savior's cross. Let's go to the saints cross now this is the second heavy-duty lesson these guys in our first father learning that Jesus as the Messiah. The centerpiece of his work is to go to Jerusalem and die and rise again.

They didn't get the rise again part yet. And then Jesus in verse 34. We support a will be the absoluteness the absoluteness of your cross is each one of you have a literary it's a figure speech is us.

It's a metaphor symbol, but we all have many crosses let us pause for a moment, you caring years old is no gospel song. I know what they mean that all mean to be again the meeting but of the phrase goes, is not always easy, caring Calvary's cross was not easy. It's impossible. You can't care that crossed there's only one you could carry that cross your carrier cross verse 34 says he called the crowd and that I think that's very significant because this just wasn't the inner circle of disciples.

This was all of those who might be considering being devoted followers of Jesus Christ and he said to them, middle verse 34 if anyone wishes to come after me, you must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me if you wish to come in my footsteps and and be a follower of mine. First of all, he said if anyone that means anyone can. You may be the poorest of the poor you can be a follower of Jesus Christ. You may be as chattel slave to a master, but you can be a follower of Jesus Christ, you might be the most uneducated and ignorant and also psychic, but you can be a follower of Jesus Christ, you might be the most educated and brilliant person given a spanking but God can even break your pride and you can be a follower of Jesus Christ income from the Rome side of the tracks of the right side of the tracks that you can be a follower of Jesus Christ and matter.

Your skin color.

You can be a follower of Jesus Christ.

That's why we've never allowed one tiny minutia of prejudice in this church are judged in this church of your love for Christ and the gentleness of your conversion. And anybody who loves Christ is welcome here with all of our love. Amen. You know anybody can come because God's not really looking for your ability. Your ability didn't mean much to him is looking for your availability. He'd rather have a 12-year-old boy.

The had learned a lot yet.

The no not yet, but he loves Christ because that mortgage that will serve Jesus and making sinfully available. Some brilliant older men may have all kinds of things there hung up on, and they're just not available. Three parts of this that cometh.

It's one thing but there's three parts here would just talk about him briefly the other verse 34. He said you going to come after me, you got deny yourself the study of rejecting self is to say no to self. Now it's not self-denial that's different. Self-denial is occasionally giving up things or activities for good purpose. That's not what this talk about this is saying there's a moment of conversion where you establish a new core conviction and you are a unable to establish that core conviction by the new birth when you begin to say I no longer look to self as Lord. I no longer look to my feelings in my motion is the rule of my life. I reject himself, and I look to Christ, I surrender to Christ and I determined to obey his will. I once and for all. Say farewell to self. I once and for all declare that Christ is all wise and I myself am a fool. In comparison, all reliance on all things that are mine, by nature, any education any inclination to the intellectual abilities, faults, habits, sentimentality's emotions. All of those in any and all of those that cannot be harmonized with following Christ must be rejected.

You started a new course of life we came to Christ are too often in evangelical circles.

We teach Christianity as check a box. Get your ticket out hail and then Maine. Basically, if you don't murder anybody not to protest and bow you can to spend the rest your life.

Being a hedonist and enjoying this world is a lot is not true is why Paul said in Philippians 37 but whatever things were gain to me those things I've counted as loss for the sake of Christ. You go from a self-centered life to a Christ centered life will not only didn't he must deny himself. He says he must take up his cross is in Aristide's image taken up all at once and continue caring. It means we have chosen not saying we get up in the morning jumping up and down our bed excited about it, but we've chosen their there's a kind element of of solid resolve in our hearts that says this cost rejection. If this cost separation from a loved one.

If this cost losing my job if this costs me and sense of ridicule and insult sin slanders in undermining's that's my cross to carry and I resolved that I've settled that I'm not going out looking for, but it comes my way and obeying Christ. So be it. If you. You live very long. As a Christian in heaven endured any kind of suffering for I'm doubtful of the genuineness of your conversion. The gods in this province has different roles for different people. None of us forget being martyred at the stake like a baby's forefathers were simply for believing in and true conversion and immersion baptism after conversion. We haven't gotten there yet, but who knows how soon I charge you church this morning to renew the core conviction that it cost that's fine. My children and my grandchildren may not can belong to all the right clubs in all the right groups in the culture any longer use to we could say maybe 4056 years ago that generally the society held to some Christian values.

They met out of lived it out. Well at least they agreed with them and our children can cut a go with the society and the school system were coming to a day where it's going to be required that God's church to be its own subculture. This weasel fit out there.

The Bible does say that certain we have to have social interactions with wicked and evil people pulses at this place if you don't do that you have to leave the world.

I get that not talk about the things you and I choose to go along with the pastor. This is a little unsettling.

Good God last thing the church estimated at ease in Zion. I don't know that I score hundred but I try to resolve the myself almost daily Lord this cost. Everything I have fun. I mean after all, you can't. I can in the journey with the lesson to begin it with.

I told you before I had more of nothing anybody I know when I started the ministry has had nothing.

I've nothing, plus nothing that Pam had a lot of money, your Clifford Heavener loaded Mr. Hart cheat sheet once and pageant stuff and so we got a little startled some appliances and stuff like that but I mean, all she got with me was what hoping brings money and someday lives in. I mean I think that's going to the way folks because I've been been there, deny yourself and take up your cross. Sometimes this is an individual Christian in the workplace in the office at the school, young people, you always be kind and you always be compassionate to everyone, but sometimes you have to say have given my life to Christ not can't do that. I give my life to Christ and I can't go along with that when you just think you're older than us. Here's how you respond. Oh no no no. I'm more wicked than anybody. That's why can't be around the stuff a Minnesota Christian church. I have the capacity to say like you have no idea, but I don't want to will separate ourselves for evil because were strong and pure. But because were weak and impure. We want to please our pure Lord sometimes the Bible says very clearly.

Sometimes you lose your marriage because you won't deny Christ. Sometimes you may loose fellowship with a son or daughter mother or father because you will not deny Christ. That sure cross to bear.

He bore his cross on our behalf. We should bear hours on his back unison and now others to crosses in Christianity sin. Jesus would allotment miss nothing if he didn't have the church is he self-sufficient and all that he is by himself, but there has to be followers cross peers for the Christianity is the Savior's cross in the St. cross well. Not only deny yourself which is reject yourself, take up your cross, which is reject the world values and the principles and though the vile pleasures let let let the fog will let me give a balancing statement because carrying your cross does not mean you're not supposed to enjoy any of the common grace is God's given all mankind. Hope you enjoy your lunch but also pagans will enjoy their lunch today and that's in the world. And that's good and there's thousands and thousands of God has not said you cannot enjoy the common grace is that I showered on all main concourse weekend with your grandchildren with joy.

No sooner close or whatever might be. He's not saying that matter fact I run into too many of these characters out there who want to put on this false humility and walk around with her head down because they're denying themselves worldly pleasures know you're not your drawing attention to yourself and that's pride, that's not what he saying he saying that it causes trouble when we have to even graciously and with a kind tone and spirit say I can't go along with those things I can't join your club. I have to resign your club can't be in this any longer. By the way, some of these things can be different one to another, depending on where has God has been assigned to vacation. We don't go around judging each other harshly on this… Clear biblical issues at hand. And so a lot of this so many of these is a judgment call and you need to sermon it takes a while to work through it, but trust me there's will be some cross bearing sometimes individual Christian bears are sometimes individual families together all y'all go to that church, many times I've had people tell me pastor it's been difficult to state grace life with the Ritter coach Hulin rejection will that's part bearing your cross if you're following me, that's not been your cross. If you believe the truth is taught here in perfectly yet ingenuous were trying to follow the truth. The people ridicule for that that's across for you to carry clergymen say one time when you know I important sort of cold by nature to my personality and I have an angry temperament that just who I am and not just my cross to bear knows not that your wife's cross to bear that your stinking sins with that is, by the way, can I just get into little Christian truth this morning and compared with psychology I can how you are.

Naturally, I don't care what your predispositions are don't care what your natural personality is today, but it's wrong.

It's hard. It changed the different commander separate heaven different personality. I'm still working on that. You all to two men church this that will outdistance what God lift you King of the universe. Quit being that you going to believe that because it hurts people stop it is good psychology biblical Hansen stop it offensive, but hippie stop it, deny yourself, take up his cross and follow me, follow me. That's what he says in verse 34 Ms. to follow and continue following deny yourself, take up your cross.

You see what convicts due under force. The Christian does under devotion. We gladly take up our cross and I read these testimonies of the martyrs and our Baptist forefathers were martyred viciously by the Protestant and Catholic churches of Europe re-for 500 years ago, I read these testimonies of these men and women singing praises to God as the flames consumed their lives. They count the cost, follow me when when you took up across an ancient Roman and they they did in the context of Jerusalem when somebody was crucified in that region. They went down the Via Dolorosa and they went out to outside the gate. They went to the hill called golf Calvary and as they carried that cross the reason the Romans made the care that cross. This was their public humiliation and shame that shouted to the world. Rome is right in Rome's laws are right and I am wrong and I'm guilty when we carry our cross.

Here's what we say NaturallySpeaking we are wrong in the world is wrong, but our Lord is right or say will the absoluteness of it. There is no way around it.

He called the disciples and all the crowds.

It you got in effect he saying you guys got a lot of fanciful ideas about what your Messiah is going to be endued has been a bit of it. You let me clear this thing up real quick thought about denying yourself taken across following me another's great advantages of it. He throws that into encourage us because we can't see all things the way God puts it together forever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life. This verse 35 for my sake and the Gospels will save it.

If a person goes out to say I'm not don't miss out on this world man I miss out on the fines in the three also the pleasures I grab for the gusto he will put Jesus in my pocket so I might get to heaven one day only the amount blasphemy blasphemy. That means you're trying to save your life is if you do that you don't lose it, but the idea losing it is, is to have zero have zero now, and in reality, because all of these pleasures and all the rewards of this world are hollow, not substantial and then you lose out on your eternal pleasures. They said but if you lose your life to this cause. The idea is yield if you dive to worldly pleasures and desires when they conflict with obeying Christ that your purpose then you will be rewarded tenfold and it will last for all eternity. See Matthew 1929 I think we have that on screen Jesus at bricklaying this way and everyone who has left houses following Jesus might mean you lose your house or brothers or sisters, but many loose member you very family or father or mother or children or farms might mean you lose your wealth or right portion of your wealth will receive as many times as much and will inherit eternal life. Powerful stuff, which is a great advantage merely can't seem to take the plate to see it. The great advantage in this, he says, for my sake and the gospel.

So you seek our motivation again is not out of desperation were not desperately one running up where worried and anxiety ridden over eternal punishment.

We got we got a miss hail so we got a jump to the suit if that's your view of Christianity you've missed the whole thing. Our motivation is not that our motivation is not desperation or motivation is devotion were not doing this to gain heaven that's already been done. That will sublet the cross heavens again for those who believe on Jesus doing it because we want to please our Savior, because there something in us that's been kindled whereby we are learning to treasure him above all others in that increasing treasure of him makes the things of this world grow strangely damn in the light of his glory and grace. Satan's philosophy is glory now without suffering what it ends up with eternal suffering and loss God's philosophy, some suffering now, but transformed in the glory both now and for all eternity. Verse 36 and 37 were about done. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul. Okay you gained everything you got the biggest check account now about checking out big savings account in all of Alabama and you're going die gain nothing but what you did for Christ shall take on the eternity to say this, I been watching people for over 40 years in the same church you have learned.

Listen to me. People who grow old resting in God's will for them. People who grow old resting in God's will dive better, sweeter, peaceful contentment is an advantage. Jesus said in verse 38 for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, let's talk about that another words if you have the chance choice to trust in Christ and makes him the center of your life and not worldly pleasures and worldly priorities. If you have that choice Christ to the world and you decide. I am ashamed to embrace Christ to publicly profess EMS the end of my life and the person I'm just looking at living for the world. He said if that's what you do. Some women will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels reminds me afresh that when Jesus taught people when he was on the earth. He was a man's man that's heavy stuff as piercing startling stuff, not just was he a man's man spoke truth. So where there's true Christianity there's always two crosses asked me to say just cross that's in our logo.

That's the primary cross. That's the main cross. The other cross things on it.

And then there's our cross behind his his cross saves us through our cross we serve him. None of us have arrived but all of us can recommit and re-surrender, reaffirm, this is who we are and this is what we are