Last week, we talked about ‘Follow Wear’, didn’t we? We talked about what you’re supposed to wear if you are a Jesus follower … and that was found in Colossians 3:12-14 (if you want to review that sometime). PG CHK FLK: Do you remember? The name of our current series is, of course, FOLLOW … and we’ve been asking the general question ‘What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?’ And we’ve been looking at the narratives in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John where Jesus invited people to follow him … or where he talked to folks about what it meant to be a follower. We’ve answered some of the questions people have along these lines, but…
… today we’re going to look at that very small print at the bottom of the page that we’ll call ‘The Fine Print’ of being a Jesus Follower. Now, sometimes we just kind of skim over the fine print (even when we shouldn’t) and sign, but I don’t want anyone here to be caught off guard and say … ‘Hey Rom, you didn’t tell me about that part of being a Follower’! So, here we go and let me say first…
There are benefits to being a Jesus Follower. We’ve talked about some of this, but just as a reminder…
- You’ll be a better person, a better husband, or wife, or mother, or father, or friend…
- You’ll forgive much easier and more effectively if you’re a Jesus Follower…
- And Jesus Followers are more generous than most, because they realize who their blessings have come from and whose they really are to begin with—so very generous…
Those are some benefits of being a Jesus Follower… And it’s kind of like Jesus teaching in Matthew 7 (24-27, NIV) … but it depends on what we do with what we hear!
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Some of you’ve seen this before. During times of your life where you were tuned in to God’s word and obeying it, things were solid. But during those times of your life when you may have strayed from God’s word, things weren’t so solid, were they? But you’ve seen people face extraordinary difficulties in their lives, but because their life was built on a firm foundation of faith, you’re like ‘Wow, look at them go!” So, there are advantages to choosing to be a follower of Christ…
In Mark, Chapter 8, Jesus realizes that some who have been following him have just sort of been … going along for the ride—building their houses on sand, in other words. Jesus, in this passage, really wanted to know who was a true follower of his and who was simply a consumer—simply loved being with Jesus because of his teaching, and healing, and working for justice (popularity). And for those who were just along for the ride (the ‘consumers’), Jesus does a little teaching and it opens the doors up to some big, big life questions that I want to wrestle with a little today. And this is the ‘fine print’ I was talking about—at some point in being a follower of Jesus, it’s not going to be all fun & games; at some point in this relationship, there’s going to be a price to pay. So, here’s the story for today, out of Mark 8, with a little set-up…
We find Jesus and his disciples walking up in the northernmost region of Israel, the area called Galilee—literally a stone’s throw from Lebanon and Syria. They were walking near the base of a very large mountain called Mt. Hermon. (They actually snow ski in the winters on the top of this mountain!) They were in the vicinity of a larger city called Caesarea Philippi (thus named by Philip, the ruler of that area, to distinguish it from another Caesarea over by the Mediterranean Sea). And Caesarea Philippi, folks, was a melting pot of world religions, especially the worship of the Greek god, Pan. (The city was known as Banias—instead of Panias, by the Greeks. They couldn’t pronounce the letter ‘P’.) Anyway, it’s in the midst of this city of many religions, many choices, that Jesus has the following conversation with his disciples (Mark 8:27-38, NIV)…
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
Who do people say that I am? Now, I’m going to recommend that you never make this question a part of your normal lunch conversation with friends. First off, you may not want to know what folks are saying about you … and, secondly, if they’re not saying anything about you, that would be embarrassing too! But Jesus knew there was a kind of buzz about him and so, he says to his disciples—his closest friends, ‘Hey, what are people saying about me?’ And then V. 28…
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist…”
If you remember, John had recently been beheaded and some thought he’d come back to life in the form of Jesus… Let me go on, vv. 28-29…
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
And, if you’re a teacher, you’ve seen this before … but Peter was like that kid in the back of your classroom who always raises his hand and says, “I know, I know, pick me!” And…
29 Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
Or, ‘You are the Messiah’—same thing (Christ=Greek, Messiah=Hebrew). If you’ve ever thought ‘Christ’ was Jesus’ last name, you’re not alone … but it’s not. Christ or Christos or Messiah … all mean ‘anointed one’ … and that was Jesus. So, Peter got it right, didn’t he? Peter says, the Christ or the Messiah; Jesus, in other words, is the one they’d all been waiting for! And then he tells them not to say a word to anyone; it wasn’t time, in other words, for everybody to know exactly who he was (v. 30). But once he identified himself to his closest followers, he begins to tell them that there may be a price to pay for being a Jesus Follower. Listen (Mark 8:31, NIV)…
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
And then there comes a verse in this story that I’ve read probably 100X, but I’ve never really noticed it. In the very next verse, the guy who just a moment or two ago got it right, named Jesus for who he is, starts going off the wall! The very next verse says this (Mark 8:32, NIV)…
32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
So, as Jesus was speaking plainly—bluntly—about what would happen to him in the future, Peter pulls him aside and begins to chew him out! Let me put this into perspective for you: Peter, who had just claimed that Jesus was the Messiah, pulls the Son of Almighty God aside and begins to chew him out! What audacity! Maybe… It was either boldness or stupidity … or both. Peter’s like, ‘Jesus, we’re riding on a great wave here! You are at the height of your popularity! And because you’re popular, I’m popular; we’re all popular (just like in high school). And you don’t want to ruin that, do you?’ Folks … what was he thinking? And then it’s Jesus turn (Mark 8:33, NIV)…
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said…
That is not a nickname you want to have, is it? Peter’s a better nickname. But Jesus did what Peter did, didn’t he? He turned and he rebuked Peter. And check this out: Jesus then explains why he was being so harsh to Peter. He said…
33 “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
In other words, ‘Peter … it seems you’re caring much more about Peter … than you are about me!’ His eyes were on worldly things … instead of on eternal things that will last forever—what Jesus was all about! And this is a big verse for a lot of us (or it should be)! We’re back to the ‘fine print’, aren’t we? Peter, here, was acting more like a Jesus Consumer … than a Jesus Follower. Man, when Jesus is popular, that’s the time to hop on board the Jesus Train, isn’t it? But that’s not who Jesus was looking for; Jesus was looking for Followers who would be there—having his back—through thick and thin, through the good times and the not-so-good times. But Peter was acting more like a consumer at this point, which is why Jesus turned around and chewed him out right back!
Folks, I hope we’re seeing ourselves in this story, but Peter just learned something about himself (that he’s acting like a consumer, instead of a follower), and he also just discovered something very important about what it means to be a Jesus Follower—the fine print…
At some point in the journey, following Jesus will cost you. It’s at this point that Jesus sees the confusion in their eyes, and he calls a meeting … immediately (Mark 8:34, NIV)!
34 Then he called the crowd to him [remember, there’re both the apostles—those closest to Jesus, and the crowd] along with his disciples and…
He began to teach them. And he says, ‘O.K., you guys join us, but you apostles—you get on the front row; I don’t want you to miss anything I’m going to say. And Peter, you—front & center; no one needs to hear this more than you do! What I’m going to say is very, very important … so if you’ve checked out, check back in now, would you?’ This is literally, physically, an in-the-moment, eyeball-to-eyeball, conversation with Jesus. What he’s saying to them now is not a parable. This is literal, because of what’s literally about to happen to him. So, for all those who may still be confused about what he’s said previously, he wants to make sure they get it… So, here’s what Jesus says (v. 34b):
34 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Whoever wants to really be a disciple of mine (not just a consumer) … from time-to-time, you’re going to have to deny yourself…
Now, that’s not some big theological scary thing; you probably do this all the time. You’re out to eat; do you order dessert? NO! You’ve decided you’ve had enough calories in this meal and you deny yourself. To deny yourself simply means … you say ‘no’ to you!
But, I only like being a Jesus Follower part of the time. What Jesus is trying to say is … that won’t work! If you’re a Jesus Follower, that means 100% of the time. And it’s in those moments when you have to decide whether you’ll do things Jesus’ way or not … that you’ll know if you’re a Follower or not. But if you decide to be a Follower of Jesus, you’re going to have to deny yourself—often, in my experience…
It’s Mother’s Day, so the example of mothers certainly comes to mind! Even from a distance, I’ve watched my daughter—a recent, first-time mother, turn into a whole different person. Not that she was ever overly-selfish, but every night she doesn’t get a good night’s sleep, and every time she has to say no to some activity with her friends who don’t yet have kids, she’s denying herself. How much did your mom deny herself so that you could be who you are today?
And my wife is a pastor’s spouse; no one has to deny themselves more than a pastor’s spouse. I can’t tell you how many times in our life together she’s had to deny herself for the sake of the ministry … like a career, for instance, and packing up and moving when the bishop calls…
If we follow Jesus, though there are more benefits than we can even count, this is the ‘fine print’… We’ll be denying ourselves in many ways for the sake of God’s Kingdom (and feeling good about it); but that’s the reality! Jesus goes on (Mark 8:35-36, NIV)…
35 For whoever wants to save his life [Anyone? I can tell you, back in 2013 I was very interested in my life being saved—twice!] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. [Are you willing to deny yourself—to deny your own will, for the sake of God’s will for your life? Whatever you might lose in following Jesus, the deal is … you’re going to lose it anyway at some point. Jesus is giving us an opportunity to lose it for a purpose—an eternal purpose!] 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? [Why would anyone, in their right mind, be more interested in the temporal … and sacrifice the eternal—what lasts forever?] 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? [Jesus is asking what we’d trade for our soul; is anything worth losing what’s eternal for? Sadducees were ones who didn’t believe the soul lived past this life; that’s why they were ‘sad you see’…]
So, the good news is that you will probably not have to die for your faith; but you will be called upon to die to some things for your faith. If you’ve been paying attention this morning, you’ve probably discovered something: hopefully, you’ve discovered that your soul is more valuable than all of your possessions! Discovering the value of your soul—the YOU that can last for eternity … is a remarkable, life-changing, defining moment—an incredible discovery for any individual…
And, you will be called upon to die to some things for your faith… V. 34b – ““If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” There’s the ‘fine print’. Jesus didn’t want you to miss this, because it’s a reality of all who accept Jesus’ invitation to follow…
Folks, just remember this, as we close today: The incredible gift of … Salvation is free; it cost you nothing (though it cost Jesus his very life). Following Christ, though, will eventually cost you something. Now, we’ve reviewed the ‘fine print’ together…