seats and open up our windows to song number 351.
Tell it to Jesus.
Are you three people for joys?
Tell it to Jesus, the Lord.
Tell it to Jesus.
He is a friend that's well known.
You know others, but you pray for brother.
Tell it to Jesus, the Lord.
Do the tears flow down your cheeks or within?
Tell it to Jesus.
The news is that Jesus is within.
Tell it to Jesus, the Lord.
Tell it to Jesus.
He is a friend that's well known.
You know others, but you pray for brother.
Tell it to Jesus, the Lord.
Do you fear the gathering of sorrow?
Tell it to Jesus.
For you, it is what shall be tomorrow.
Tell it to Jesus, the Lord.
Tell it to Jesus.
He is a friend that's well known.
You know others, but you pray for brother.
Tell it to Jesus, the Lord.
Are you troubled at the thought of dying?
Tell it to Jesus.
Your Christ come with thee, the Lord you study.
Tell it to Jesus, the Lord.
Tell it to Jesus.
He is a friend that's well known.
You know others, but you pray for brother.
Tell it to Jesus, the Lord.
We need to thank you for that.
Would you pray for us?
Thank you, Father.
Thank you for the day, Lord God.
Thank you for this church.
Thank you for all you do for us, Lord God.
We'll just give you the glory and honor.
We'll be worthy of it, Lord.
Bless the rest of this service, Lord.
We'll just hold you in prayer.
Amen.
So we'll be back in Romans 9 in a minute, but we'll go back to Mark 8.
I'm going to wrap up Mark chapter 8 tonight.
That will take us halfway through the book of Mark.
So we'll be at the halfway point by the time the evening service is over.
But we'll look back in Romans 9 here in a little bit.
Of course you remember from this morning we saw the healing of the blind man, and then we'll
pick up the story there after that had taken place in verse 27 and it says and
Jesus went out and his disciples into the towns of Caesarea and Philippi by the
way that he, excuse me, and by the way he asked his disciples saying unto
them whom do men say that I am and they answered John the Baptist but some
say Elias and others one of the prophets and carrying on there verse 29
he saith unto them but whom say ye that I am and Peter answerth and say
unto him thou art the Christ and he charged them they should tell no man
and he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be
rejected of the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed and
after three days rise again and he spake that saying openly and Peter took him
and began to rebuke him and we'll pick it up in verse 33 again it says but
when he had turned about and looked upon his disciples he rebuked Peter
saying get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things that be of
God but of men verse 34 and when he had called unto the people unto him with his
disciples also he said unto them whosoever will come after me let him deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me for whosoever will save his
life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the
Gospels the same shall save it for what shall it profit a man if he shall
gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my
words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the
son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father and with his
angels so that's the conclusion there of Mark chapter 8 and you know this is
probably a more well-known passage where a lot of people are pretty
familiar with the story about you know Peter rebuking the Lord and then
the Lord returned in turn rebuking him in that famous phrase you know get
thee behind me Satan right that a lot of people are familiar with the story
but there's a couple things I want to pick up on tonight and I want to
talk about the idea of disagreeing with God because that's kind of what's going
on in the story it's kind of the warning that Jesus gives there at the
end that we should not be ashamed of his words that we should not disagree
with what God has said and of course I'm not trying to be redundant but I
feel like it does kind of tie in with the morning sermon as well that
you know we need to see things God's way we need to get on the same page
and with the program with God and maybe tonight we'll just serve as kind of
maybe more of a warning or just put a little emphasis on this morning's
sermon you know I can't help it we're just moving through the passage it's kind
of what it's kind of a theme here that I see but again picking it up in verse
27 it says he went out and his disciples in the towns of Caesarea
Philippi and by the way he asked his disciples saying unto them who do
men say that I am they answered John the Baptist but some say Elias and
others one of the prophets now Jesus you know this is something I've
covered of course we're going verse by verse so I don't want to just hop
over this but this is something that we looked at briefly we'll look at it
briefly again tonight in Mark 6 we went through Mark 6 14 through 29 people
said similar things of Jesus that he was John the Baptist or or
Isaiah's or excuse me Elias or one of the one of the prophets right and I
won't re-preach that whole sermon but if you remember what we got out of
that in Mark 6 was that Jesus preached as others you know what what was it
that made them think oh he's like Isaiah's he's like one of the
prophets he's John the Baptist was it the way he looked you know was it was a
way he carried himself you know what was it right obviously they didn't know
what any of these guys looked like so it couldn't have been that what what
they that the similarity that they saw was in the preaching itself the
boldness that Christ had and again I don't want to re-preach everything I
preached we went through Mark 6 14 through 29 but you know that that's
something that's always worth bringing up at least briefly again tonight you
know is that Christ is a bold preacher Christ was ripped face Christ was the
hardest preacher that ever lived okay and again look at Mark 6 just as a
refresher real quick verse 14 and King Herod heard of him for his name was
spread abroad and he said that John the Baptist was risen from the dead
and therefore mighty works to show themselves in him others said that is
Elias and others said it is that it is that it is a prophet or as one of
the prophets but when Herod heard thereof he said it is John whom I beheaded he
is risen from the dead so we find out oh he beheaded John the Baptist and it
goes on and gives us you know the backstory because it says there in verse
17 for Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him
in prison for wrote us his sake his brother Philip's wife for he had
married her for what John had said unto Herod it is not lawful for thee to
have thy brother's wife you know that was what got John the Baptist
beheaded preaching against adultery okay and so you can see it's always been a
sensitive topic it's always been you know a topic that you know can get
preachers in trouble right it doesn't make you very popular but you know what
we got from that was the boldness that John the Baptist had right he got
right up in Herod's face and put his finger you know and said it's not
lawful you know this is what the Bible says what you're doing is sinful right
and of course that got him in trouble that you know that was that kind of
preaching that boldness and we looked at it elsewhere that Jesus had right he
called the Pharisees out he'd call you know the religious leadership of his
time out he was very bold and very publicly rebuked people often okay and
again I don't want to re-preach all that but I can't just jump over you
know these two verses without you know at least mentioning that so that's if
you want more of that you know that take on mark 8 27 and 28 go back and
listen to mark 6 14 through 29 because I expounded that aspect a little bit
more but let's move on in our story in Mark chapter 8 because again I want to
emphasize here this idea of us disagreeing with God this is something
we want to be on guard against in our lives and if we're not careful
you know we might find ourselves actually doing this you know God gives
us his take on things and we say well no you know I have my own opinion
and it looked there in verse 29 it says verse 29 and he saith unto them but
whom say he that I am and Peter answerth and saith unto them thou art the Christ
and he charged them that they should tell no man of him and he began to teach them
he said okay well you now you get who I am let me tell you some things okay
that the began to teach them what did he teach them that the Son of Man
must suffer many things right and be rejected of the elders and the chief
priests and scribes and be killed and after three days arise again okay so
you can kind of understand a little bit at least humanly speaking Peter's
response here right because he says in verse 32 he spake that saying openly
and Peter took him and began to rebuke him which is pretty bold thing of Peter
to do but you know I believe it is coming from a genuine place of concern
and love for God he doesn't like the idea that Jesus is going to be taken
that he's gonna suffer many things and that he's going to be ultimately
killed by you know the Pharisees and others and Sadducees that he's
actually gonna suffer he doesn't like it so he's saying you know not so Lord
not don't allow this to happen and he's rebuking him for it but what we
learn from this is that no matter what your motive is even if maybe it's a
right motive I'm not necessarily saying that you know Peter was in the right
here but what the lesson we can get out of that even if we have right
motives is that if we disagree with God it's a losing battle you know
disagreeing with God is not a battle you're gonna win okay if God says thus
sayeth the Lord you're not gonna change his mind you know that if it's
written down in the Word of God if this is God's will you know we're not
going to sway God okay now this is where Romans 9 comes in if you would
want to go back to Romans chapter number 9 you know we want to watch out in our
lives that when God touches on something when we read something the
Word of God when something is preached upon that are you know if
we're defensive about it or our initial reaction is to disagree we have
to understand that that's a losing battle you know you got God's not
gonna come around on that you have to get on his page you have to get
on his program and that's kind of what takes place here in this story right
you know Peter here's what's gonna take place Jesus saying here here's what's
gonna happen you know I'm gonna suffer I'm gonna die and I'm gonna
resurrect again and and he hears the program he hears what God's laying out
he says and he's rebuking him for it right and I mean and imagine you
know the the the boldness of Peter here to do this right it's misplaced
boldness you know this is a very awkward situation really when you think
about because it says there in verse 32 that he spake that saying openly right
he said this you know publicly in front of people and so Peter took him
right Peter literally goes to him and begins to rebuke him now you know
anyone who's ever been you know kind of taken and rebuked you know it's not
it's not a comfortable situation it's awkward right and it was it's not like
you know it doesn't sound like it's one of these like mild rebuffs where
he's just kind of like hey you know you might want to consider you know it
wasn't like a friendly kind of like recommendation or perhaps a suggestion
you know people can you know try to correct others in a very polite and
you know respectful way this is a rebuke where Peter's taking him and
almost to me in my mind it's like he's like taking saying I'm gonna tell
you what Jesus is the way it's gonna be right you know it's kind of like
getting in his grill a little bit or getting up in his business and and
telling him how it's gonna be I mean and think about who he's talking to
the Lord Jesus Christ right you say well you know what how could anybody ever
disagree with God who in the world would ever do that you know what
Christian would ever read something in the Bible or hear something taught
the Word of God and actually disagree with it you know well Peter rebuked
the Lord to his face in front of other people so I mean if it's not
beneath Peter to be as bold to do that like of course you know we all
these thousands of years later who are just reading these things in the Word of
God we're not even hearing them directly out of the mouth of Christ you
know we might have a tendency to disagree with God you know that this
is out there you know I I remember hearing a preacher talk about when he
would get up he preached about how husbands or wives husbands wives are
supposed to submit to their husbands and be keepers at home and he
remember he told I'm ready to tell the story and this old lady came up to
me this little sweet old little church lady that no one would ever think
would be so bold she turned and she showed him where she she would in her
Bible with the black marker went I just crossed that out and she said it
was just so smugly I just didn't like what the Bible said there so I
crossed it out you tell another story when he'd get preaching and it
was something that you know she didn't like she would look it right at
him and turn down her hearing aid you just go yeah why cuz she doesn't she
doesn't agree with the Bible I mean to be so bold to take a black
permanent marker and just cross out the Bible you know so we should never think
now that's why I'm taking the time to preach this tonight is that because you
know we can be guilty to some degree maybe not be so bold as Peter or
that little old sweet lady but even in our own hearts if we're not careful we
can find ourselves disagreeing with God hearing something taught of the Word
of God say yeah but that's just not how I think that you go that's not how
I think we should do things that's not how I should live my life you know and
again as I preach this morning you apply this in so many areas in our
lives but we have to understand is that when we're disagreeing with God you
know that's that's a pretty bold thing and it's a losing battle you're not
gonna win that you know I don't want to delve into Romans 9 where he's
dealing with you know the nation of Israel and all that but he draws upon
and he quotes Isaiah 45 here we're trying to make his point Paul to
emphasize his point he says there in verse 18 therefore he hath mercy on whom
he will have mercy in whom he will he hardeneth thou will say unto me why did
he yet find fault for who resisted his will plenty of people resist God's will
now Paul says nay but oh man who art thou that reply ist against God you
know that should be a sobering thought like who are we to read God's Word
to hear words his were taught and then to and then to reply against it
you know who art thou that thou reply ist against God I mean imagine being
Jesus in this story in Mark 8 you have your disciples I mean you're you're
I mean God you're the son of God they're just Peter's got done
professing thou art the Christ and he was right he is the Christ and then
just a moment later that same guy is rebuking you to your face I mean
like how could we even begin to compare this would be like a young child you
know getting rebuking their parent right some you know some parent goes
out and tells their five-year-old hey brush your teeth and go to bed you
know they drag a chair over and set it down to climb up get right mom's
face I don't care what you say I'll have to brush my teeth in my bedtime
blah blah blah I mean it would be it would be ridiculous to think that
wouldn't it it's a silly example you know what that's it that's exactly what
it's got to look like when we as God's people reply against him why I just
don't think that's how marriage should work you know we get our little
spiritual chairs out and get up in God's face I just don't think that's
how you should raise kids you know I just don't think that's how we're
supposed to live I don't think that is a sin after all that's that's what it
looks like and and Paul here you know to make his point in Romans 9 which I'm
not going to go into exactly what his point is is saying basically hey who
are you to reply against God about anything you know who are any of us to
you know read something the Word of God and start wagging our finger back at
him and say I don't agree with this it's like a worm you know trying to
like back talk an eagle you know it's like who are we he says in verse 20
shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me
thus hath not the powder power over the clay of the same lump to make one
vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor he's saying look God's the
one that formed you who are you to reply against him I'll read to you from
Isaiah chapter 5 or 45 go to 2 Timothy chapter 2 he's quoting Isaiah 45 woe
unto him that striveth with this maker exclamation point and what is the
striving when the when the clay shall say to him that fashioned it what
makest thou what do you think you're doing you know might not even be
something necessarily in God's Word that we you know want to pick have a
bone to pick with God over maybe it's something God is doing in our life you
know maybe we find ourselves in a circumstance or going through some
difficulty you know we're being tried by God in some way you know the
temptation might be to say why are you doing this it's not fair but the
reality is who are we to reply against God woe unto him that striveth
with his maker let the pot-shirt strive with the pot-shirts of the earth you
know it's one thing for me and you for us to go around it and and to
disagree with one another because we're all on the same level we can have
our disagreements we can have our arguments you'd be nice about it right
shall but shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou
or thy work hath he no hands woe unto him that sayeth unto his father
what to get a style or to the woman what hast thou brought forth so that's
again the illustration that Paul or Isaiah is using here rather you know
he's using that same illustration I just used it's like a child replying
to his parent what do you think you're doing it's so out of context
it's so just just misplaced it's just so backwards to have a child rebuking
his parents that but that's what we do when we reply against God when we
disagree with God that's what it looks like to him it isn't that
infuriating you I'm sure no one else here has ever experienced it but you
know has anyone ever had a child disagree with them has anyone else
ever had one of their children talk back to them and tell them why
they're wrong or why they're right you know it's hard to believe but you
know I've experienced this right my wife experience they tend to are you know
kids I think they think they can get away with a mom or they can dad I don't
know at least I don't get too much of it but I tell you what I hear it when
they do it to my wife he wanted what it infuriates me it infuriates me when I
hear my children arguing with their mother and it's not often you know it
doesn't happen all the time but you know if I'm around and I hear that
like whatever I'm doing I stop what I'm doing and I go deal with it
because it and it just makes me mad right because who are they to reply
against their mother who are they to be replying against their father right
well you know I have to imagine it's the same way God feels when he looks
down and he sees us going whatever you read the Bible off can you believe
that hearing some preacher we get up preach the word of God well whatever
he's out he's out to lunch and God must be just like well who are you to
reply that's my word you're disagreeing with that's the Bible
that you have a problem with that's what I said that's what you know that's how I
feel God probably feels about it it's frustrated so you know here's the thing
if we disagree with God that's a losing battle no parents gonna be like well
you know maybe we we should reconsider your bedtime now that you bring that
up you know I didn't you know that you've made this argument and didn't
really let's talk down and have a you know a roundtable discussion with the
children about how things are gonna go here let's get their take on it never
gonna happen you know that's it's a losing battle for the kids you know
yeah you're still gonna brush your teeth and you're still gonna go to
bed on time you just you're gonna go to bed you know with the sore butt
you go to bed with some tears in your eyes right you know that's a losing
battle but you know the opposite is also true if we get on God's program if
we agree with God if we say you know what you're right God that goes that'll
take us far look at second Timothy chapter number two verse 20 it says in
a great house there and only vessels of gold and of silver but also
of wood and of earth or clay right earth clay and some to honor and some
to dishonor if a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto
honor sanctified and meet for the master's use and prepared unto every
good work you know if we purge ourselves from the you know the the wood
and the clay and from these these vessels of dishonor we make ourselves a
vessel of honor a vessel of silver a vessel of gold right if we're a vessel
that is submissive or a vessel that receives what's put into it if we're
a vessel that God can use to his honor and glory will God will use us we
will go far with God we have that promise you know God's not going to use
a vessel of dishonor you know that clay pot you know he's just not
interested maybe that's a spittoon spiritually or something like that
you know it's like it's not going to be used the way that we could be
used if we were a vessel of honor you know that's what we need to be in
our lives don't disagree with God agree with him be a vessel of honor and he
will use you you said Isaiah 64 but now or Lord thou art our father we are the
clay and thou art thou our Potter and we are all the work of thy hand that's
what we have to realize is that we're the work of God's hands we're just
another vessel and if God wants to do something particular with us if God
wants to use us in a specific way if God has a will for us we need to
just go along with the program and not be found to fight against God don't
disagree with God he said why the world would anyone ever disagree with God
well you know really the only reason well I'm sure it's not the only reason
but one here at least in this passage where we are mark 8 if you want you
can go back there I think the reason why at least in this passage people
disagree with God is because they're so concerned about being agreeable with
man you know we probably all is going to come to news it's not going to come to
news to anybody when I say that man's program and God's program aren't the
same program they don't agree and I think a lot of times reason the reason
why people are found to be disagreeing with God as they're more concerned
about being agreeable to man they want to be accepted by man more than
God that's kind of what Jesus said here and Peter took him and rebuked him
it says in verse 33 but when he had turned about and looked upon his
disciples he rebuked Peter and you kind of get the sense here how this
all played out you know Peter comes and takes him and rebukes him so it's
kind of like a private conversation and then and then Jesus turns to his
disciples with Peter standing right there and rebukes him in front of the
rest of them it says get thee behind me Satan you know rebuking God disagreeing
with God is a losing battle that could be actually quite humiliating but when
he turned about and looked at his disciples he rebuked Peter saying get
thee behind me Satan why for thou savourest not the things that be of
God but the things that be of men what was Peter's problem he was more
concerned with the things of men than the things of God and that's often what
leads us to be found to be disagreeing with God when we're get more concerned
with the things that be of men and being agreeable with them and going
along with them often we find ourselves at odds with the Lord at least
that's what I see in this passage if you would go to Romans chapter 12 I
should have to keep something in Romans but go to Romans chapter 12 I mean it's
you have to get have some kind of an explanation why in the world would
anyone disagree with God you know at first glance we might even you know
kind of scratch our heads and say do people really disagree with God I mean
it's not even a thing why are you even preaching this and yet in this
passage we have the Apostle Peter himself I mean he walked on water with
Jesus he was there for all these miracles and yet we find even him
disagreeing with God so if he can do it so can we it's a losing battle why
is it how is it the people find themselves to be disagreeing with God
when they're more concerned with the things of men than the things of God he
said in Romans 3 I'll read to you God forbid yet like let God be true and
every man a liar as it is written that thou may be justified in thy sayings and
mightest overcome when thou art judged you know Paul said like God be
true and every man a liar you know if God said one thing and man said
another guess who's lying guess who's got it wrong man every time every
single time and I'm telling you Christians today they side with man
they side with philosophy of man the viewpoints of man more than they do God
why cuz they savor the things that be of men it's sad to even think that
there's you know probably a lot of preachers out there today that you
know side with man more than they do with God Paul said let God be true and
every man a liar if we have to make a decision if there's if these you
know there's two you know philosophies or whatever it might be man saying
something and God saying something we need to go with God every single time
he warned us in James 3 that friendship of the world is enmity with
God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of
God that's why disagreeing with God is a losing battle you know people hear
the preaching the Word of God they can mock at it they can sneer at it they
can say it's not true they can reject it and all they're really doing is
making God their enemy I'd rather have the whole world as my enemy than God
you know the whole world I mean man the world they can only do so much
we're not to fear them which can kill the body but fear him which can
kill the body and then afterwards cast the soul into hell can destroy both
body and soul all the world can do if they want to be my enemy they don't
like what I'm saying if they want to destroy me you know all they're really
threatening me with this heaven you know we're gonna kill you till you die
from it oh yeah but then I'm gonna go to glory and God's gonna say well
done now good and faithful servant but if God's my enemy you know he could
get me anywhere he can do whatever he wants you know I'm saved obviously I'm
still gonna go to heaven no matter what but you know maybe he'll drag it out
you know the world might want to tear us limb from limb and and have us you
know be done with us as quick as they can God might say oh you want to be my
enemy let's just make it a long painful process to get to heaven that's
a that's a that's a scary thought oh you want to disagree with me you
want to you want to go against what God says you want to disagree with what
the Bible says God might just you know say well hey let me punish you hear me
punish us here this is gonna go wrong this ain't gonna go right and
your life will just end up being a mess why because being a friend of the
world is enmity against God that's what the Bible says and if we're gonna
be savor the things that be of men more than the things that be of God
we're gonna make ourselves the enemy of God because we're going to be
disagreeing with God it's a losing battle you can't win that's why he says
in Romans 12 where you are in verse 1 I beseech you therefore brethren I mean
beseech means to beg it's like pausing please I'm beseeching you for
your own sake by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice be that vessel under honor present your bodies a living sacrifice
holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service as we talked
about this morning we've been bought with the price and be not conformed to
this world be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind you know if we're going to be conformed to this
world if we're gonna be the friend of the world if we're gonna savor the
things that be of men one of the things that be of God we're gonna be at
odds with God we're going to be disagreeing with God and there will be
consequences be not conformed that's what he's beseeching that's what he's
begging these people to do to be transformed in the renewing of their
mind they may prove it as that good and acceptable and perfect will of God
and it's an important message because you know he's saying here we have to
be transformed by the renewing of our mind you know like I preached this
morning that guy he saw that he got saved right he he had a that was the
picture there he Jesus spat in his eyes you know he saw but he didn't see
clearly then Jesus had to touch him again and make him to look up and
then he saw more clearly you know he had it's like that transforming it has
to take place look you get saved that's great I'm glad we're saved but you
know now now comes the long process of having our minds transformed to
conforming onto the image of Christ to doing the perfect will of God in this
life and that's no easy task that's something we have to do you have to be
renewed in your mind you have to start saying you know what God's right I'm
wrong let God be true every man a liar I used to think this way about
whatever it is I used to think this way about this subject or that subject
but now I'm reading the Word of God I'm hearing the preaching Word of God I'm
finding out it's actually different let me renew my mind so that I may prove
what is the good and perfect and acceptable will of God because when we
do that when we are transformed and we are proving you know what we'll do is
we'll prove it we'll look back and say you know what I didn't agree back
then but I said okay God I'll get on your program and now all these
years later I can look back and say it's perfect will of God I've proved
it I've tried it I tested it's true let God be true in every man a liar
I'm glad I got on this program it worked marriages saved children spared
addictions overcome God will do a transformative work in our lives if we'll
just say let God be true in every man a liar let me get on his program let me
do what he tells me to do let my mind be renewed in him and stop you
know thinking are doing things our own way that's why I don't have a lot of
faith in politics quite honestly because it's a bunch of men trying to figure
out man's problems it's like you're the source of the problem and you're the
ones trying to figure it out it's probably not gonna go too well okay
but you know if we get on God's program in our lives and do things
God's way God God's gonna work and we're gonna be able to look back and
prove that it's perfect and that it's acceptable that it's good so the
question tonight really is whose will do you want to prove who do you want to
agree with whose will do you want to prove well let's try it let's just keep
trying doing things the way the world does it let's keep taking their
approach to marriage and child really keep taking their approach to all these
social issues let's just keep taking their approach to all these things
about in life and let's just see if it works out we are they've ordered
the world's already got a track record long enough to us to see how it's
going you know some of us have even experienced it you know some of us are
part of those you know unfortunate statistics that come with being you know
doing things man's way it's already been proven let's try God's program
let's give that a shot and see how it goes like that's kind of he ends
the passage here if you look at mark 8 wrap it up and says in verse 34 and
when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also he said unto
them whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross
and follow me Christians life is a life of sacrifice it's not you don't get to
do whatever you want and so many Christians that's that's their approach
to the Christian life well I could still get to do whatever I want oh no
you don't it's a cross for whosoever will save his life shall lose it and
whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels the same shall
save it for what shall it profit a man shall gain the whole world and lose
his own soul now we apply that you know primarily to salvation you know people
they just want to get a bunch of wealth and money and success and they
just ignore God they ignore the gospel and what does it profit in the
end nothing what shall a man give in exchange for a soul the verse I want
to focus in here at the end though is verse 38 whosoever thou shall be
ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation
of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he shall come in the
glory of his father with his holy angels he's saying that if you're
ashamed of him and his words he's going to be ashamed of you he shows
up in the presence of his father and the angels that I mean Peter got
rebuked in front of the disciples right that's that's embarrassing
enough right you ever been a rebuked in front of somebody else it's pretty
you know it's not even so much to rebuke that's as bad it's just the fact
that somebody else is going man and really let him at it all would you do
you know everybody else just to join the show it's you know they're
popping popcorn like let him have it yeah yeah right well imagine being
rebuked imagine being a Christ hanging his head and shame at you
and just in front of in heaven's company in glory you know we walk up
all heaven's great oh there's Jesus he's just like and what are you
doing down there why didn't you listen why didn't you do things my
way and that's that's good that's sad you know someone else you know
all the guys ahead of us everyone in front of us it's like well done
thou good and faithful servant well done they're gonna fit then they get
to us he's like welcome to heaven I guess you know next move move
along nothing to say here or oh yeah hey all the angels this is the guy I
was telling you about yeah this is them yeah you know that'd be
embarrassing now look I'm not saying it's exactly how it's gonna play out
I don't know but he did say that if we're ashamed of his words when he
that he will be ashamed of so the Son of Man be ashamed of that same
person when he shall come the glory this father of his father with the
only angels it's not like God it's not gonna notice God notices so the question
is you know who's will do we want to prove well if it's God God's will then
we can't be ashamed of it you know why would people disagree with God
because they're ashamed of it because it's foolishness that you know the
wisdom of God is foolishness with men you know we we say well here's what
the Bible says the Bible that Stone Age book oh you believe some book that was
written by a bunch of Bronze Age goat herders it shows they know nothing
about history or how the word the Bible who was written the Bible was
written by who the physical authors were but that's the mock they scoff at
it and say oh well you know you know maybe we're embarrassed or
ashamed I mean why do you think there's so many Baptist preachers today
that won't get up and preach against the homos I mean do I have to go on and
on about it I mean isn't it just as plain as the nose on your face what
God thinks of these people we just read Genesis 19 you know why they
won't preach it because they're ashamed and they're ashamed in an
adulterous and sinful generation they're ashamed in a generation that is
spitting in the face of God today that is promoting filth and abomination
they're ashamed they're more ashamed of him in front of those people you
know what I'm ashamed of them and so and God will be ashamed of them too
God is ashamed of them what who would ever do that who would ever disagree
with God Peter did it and you know gee I don't think this is just a you know
an empty threat hey if you're ashamed of me I'll be ashamed of you like why
would Jesus have to say that if weren't a possibility look there's plenty of
people today that here know what the Bible says they might even agree with
it but they're never gonna practice it they're never gonna espouse it
because they're embarrassed they're ashamed because it flies in the face
of man's wisdom they'd rather be friends with the world yeah well you
know what like God be true and every man a liar I mean what good does it do
to to to make yourself a friend this world go to first Peter chapter 4 will
close there you know whose will do you want to prove what what wire would
be ever be ashamed of God's will in this world makes no sense whosoever do
what the will of God shall abide abideth forever so he said in 1st John
2 the world passeth away and the lust thereof people bend over backwards to
appease the world preachers today they they they they cower from the
hard things the Word of God they you know they capitulate they compromise
for a world that's gonna pass away for world that's in that the lust of
and the lust of men there with it's just all gonna disappear won't even
matter in eternity but he that do with the will of God abideth forever you
know all the works that you do for God all the things you do in
accordance with God's Word all those rewards that you receive for
having done God's will that's gonna last forever you're gonna have it for
eternity it's never gonna go away you're never gonna lose it you know you
go you do God's will you get before the judgment seat of Christ you stand
there and he says well done thou good and faithful servant you know your works
are tried there's gold silver precious stones you have that mansion
of glory that that glorified body and then which aren't all the same you
know one you know there's gonna be variants and glory those that you know
some people are gonna be over ten cities some over five and some people
are just gonna be told to go sweep the floor there is sweeping in heaven I
don't know that's gonna last forever that's a permanent condition it's not
like that's gonna run out so why why in the world would we just get on God's
program why when the world would be ashamed of his words in the midst of a
perverse and adulterous generation that's going to pass away that's gonna
be forgotten you know everything everything that we lift up and praise
all the works of men everything that just we're so impressed with man in a
millennia it's it won't even know I mean it's all that's already the way
it is in this world that's why so many people are fascinated with like
ancient Greek literature because there's just these few scraps from
some ancient far you know long-lost civilization that people can look into
and I get it that's kind of cool but I just already it proves my point that
even already in this world there's civilizations that have come and gone
nobody even knows about them I mean how many people how many civilizations are
mentioned in this book how many nations and kings the outside of the
Bible if it aren't even heard of if it wasn't for the Bible their name
would have been forgotten to history you know thousands of years ago it's the
same way in heaven folks so why would we you know spend our lives trying to
be friends with this world being ashamed of God's Word of savoring the
things that be of men when it's all going to disappear and the only thing
that's going to last is what's done in the will of God makes no sense look at
first Peter chapter 4 verse 1 for as much then as Christ hath suffered
for us in the flesh arm yourselves likewise with the same mind for he
that has suffered in the flesh hath seized from sin you know if we're if
we're going to live and do the will of God it's gonna work if there's gonna
be suffering that he should no longer live the rest of the time in the flesh
to the lust of men but to the will of God don't live the rest of this
life just doing the will of men do the will of God
agree with God don't disagree with him agree with what God has said
savor the things of God and do it I mean what good what good does it do to
agree with it if you don't if you don't do it you know we have to believe it
and then we have to do it let's go ahead and close in a word of prayer
dear Lord again thank you for the Bible Lord thank you for the
instruction we receive out of it the encouragement the admonishments Lord help
us to be people who are willing ready and able to do your will whatever it is
or whatever is asked of us whatever whatever ways we have to change whatever
things we have to transform in our lives and our minds in order to be
conformed to your word into the image of Christ Lord help us to see the
importance of doing it and Lord help us to not be friends with this world
help us to not savor the things of men more than of God help us not be
ashamed of your word Lord help us to embrace it and help us to do it we ask
these things in Christ name amen all right we'll sing one more song before
we're dismissed tonight
Oh