Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

If you’re a Christian, then what you say to your non-Christian friends will sound crazy to them.

As we’ve walked through Matthew over these last years, we could probably summarize everything that we’ve said in two sentences.

1) Leave everything to follow after Jesus.

2) And, be happy about it.

Now, if we’ll stop just a second and think about that for a second, we have to admit that sounds crazy!

Maybe you would say, “I get that Jesus calls for his disciples to lay down their lives and to abandon illusions of being the greatest in the world.

I get that I must sacrifice some of the little bit that I have for the sake of his Kingdom.

I understand that much of the world may hate me or look down upon me or mock me for even believing in such a God.”

And, you can understand that all of the gods of earth ask their followers to sacrifice for their sake.

But, here is the crazy part.

Here is what sets Christianity apart.

Here is what is impossible to make sense without the Spirit of God: You should be happy about it.

You should be both self-denying and joyful.

James even says it like this: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”

That is, when you face hardship, when you face suffering, when you pay great costs for following Jesus, count all of it as joy!

It’s crazy!

Lay down your life, and be happy about it.

How is that?

How is it that we can make such seemingly great sacrifices and be happy about it?

This is what Jesus is going to be teaching his disciples in our text this morning as they press on toward the cross and toward their own suffering.

God’s Word

Read

Is Jesus Worth It?

“What then will we have?”

In our text this morning, Peter asks an honest and important question.

When the Rich Young Ruler had approached Jesus about how he could have eternal life, Jesus' ultimate response was: "Go sell all that you have and follow me, and you will have treasure in heaven."

Having heard that, Peter says, "Jesus we've done that.

We've left our businesses and families behind.

We've forfeited our livelihoods to follow you.

We've been criticized with you and homeless with you.

We've done what you told that young man to do, so 'what then will we have?'

In our text this morning, Peter asks an honest and important question.

When the Rich Young Ruler had approached Jesus about how he could have eternal life, Jesus' ultimate response was: "Go sell all that you have and follow me, and you will have treasure in heaven."

Having heard that, Peter says, "Jesus we've done that.

We've left our businesses and families behind.

We've forfeited our livelihoods to follow you.

We've been criticized with you and homeless with you.

We've done what you told that young man to do, so 'what then will we have?'

And, I want you to know that I believe that this is not a selfish question.

In fact, I believe this is a vitally important question for Peter and a vitally important question for us.

This is an important question for every disciple to answer: Is Jesus worth it?

Jesus and his disciples are in their final move to Jerusalem where Jesus will be crucified, and where the disciples will accept the mission that will lead each one of them to martyrdom.

The stakes have never been higher, and for the first time in all of Matthew's gospel, we hear them speaking explicitly of what it has cost them to follow Jesus.

Jesus had told them to count the costs in following him, and each one of them had followed him any way, but it had cost them all.

In , Jesus said something to them that he essentially reminds them of in verse 29.

He had said then, "Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved."

So some costs have come already, and the costs are going up.

So, the question of reward, the question of whether or not it's worth it, is a valid and important one.

And, I want you to know that I believe that this is not a selfish question.

In fact, I believe this is a vitally important question for Peter and a vitally important question for us.

This is an important question for every disciple to answer: Is Jesus worth it?

Jesus and his disciples are in their final move to Jerusalem where Jesus will be crucified, and where the disciples will accept the mission that will lead each one of them to martyrdom.

The stakes have never been higher, and for the first time in all of Matthew's gospel, we hear them speaking explicitly of what it has cost them to follow Jesus.

Jesus had told them to count the costs in following him, and each one of them had followed him any way, but it has cost them all.

In , Jesus said something to them that he essentially reminds them of in verse 29.

He had said then, "Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved."

So some costs have come already, and the costs are going up.

So, the question of reward, the question of whether or not it's worth it, is a valid and important one.

APPLICATION: The question each one of us is faced with this morning is whether or not Jesus is worth the cost.

There are some teenagers here that have decided that Jesus isn't worth the cost of them giving up the rebellious, curious years of their youth, and so they've rejected him.

There are some college students here that have decided that Jesus isn't worth forfeiting their desire for the typical college experience, and so they've ignored him and attempted to put him on the back-burner of their lives.

There are young parents here this morning that aren't sure a radical commitment to Jesus is worth the time it will cost them in their already too busy lives.

There are retired people here who aren't sure that a sacrificial, disciple-making life is worth their golden years, and so they say Christian things, but they don't take seriously their Christ-given mission to make disciples of all nations.

You see, the way that you answer this question, the way that you resolve the worthiness of Jesus will determine how seriously you live for him.

Your faith and confidence and trust in his answer to this question this morning will be directly proportional to how radically you live, or don't live, for Christ.

Is Jesus worth the costs to you?

APPLICATION: The question each one of us is faced with this morning is whether or not Jesus is worth the cost.

There are some teenagers here that have decided that Jesus isn't worth the cost of them giving up the rebellious, curious years of their youth, and so they've rejected him.

There are some college students here that have decided that Jesus isn't worth forfeiting their desire for the typical college experience, and so they've ignored him and attempted to put him on the back-burner of their lives.

There are young parents here this morning that aren't sure a radical commitment to Jesus is worth the time it will cost them in their already too busy lives.

There are retired people here who aren't sure that a sacrificial, disciple-making life is worth their golden years, and so they say Christian things, but they don't take seriously their Christ-given mission to make disciples of all nations.

You see, the way that you answer this question, the way that you resolve the worthiness of Jesus will determine how seriously you live for him.

Your faith and confidence and trust in his answer to this question this morning will directly proportional to how radically you live, or don't live, for Christ.

Is Jesus worth the costs to you?

Is It Selfish to Live for Eternal Rewards?

Jesus doesn't respond to Peter's question with a rebuke.

In fact, Jesus responds with his most detailed explanation of reward yet in the book of Matthew.

Jesus had told his disciples that they would be repaid for their faithfulness to him, and Jesus had let his disciples know early on that following him was worthy of their lives, but here, in the shadow of the cross, Jesus begins to crystallize this reward for his disciples.

In fact, as Jesus gets more in the nitty gritty in these final days with his disciples, He will speak to them more and more frequently about the age to come and the reward following Him offers.

Jesus doesn't respond to Peter's question with a rebuke.

In fact, Jesus responds with his most detailed explanation of reward to yet in the book of Matthew.

Jesus had told his disciples that they would be repaid for their faithfulness to him, and Jesus had let his disciples know early on that following him was worthy of their lives, but here, in the shadow of the cross, Jesus begins to crystallize this reward for his disciples.

In fact, as Jesus gets more in the nitty gritty in these final days with his disciples, He will speak to them more and more frequently about the age to come and the reward following Him offers.

Now, there is a lot of debate about the motives behind Peter's questions among Bible commentators, but I believe them to be pure here.

1) Jesus doesn't rebuke Peter for the question, and He hasn't exactly been shy about doing that in the past.

2) Peter is talking about Kingdom rewards, not worldly ones.

Here's the question that many of commentators and perhaps many of you seem to be struggling with: Is it selfish to live a costly life now for Jesus in expectation of a life of inconceivable prosperity in eternity?

And, the answer to that question has to be a resounding "NO!" To live your life for the sake of eternal life and its rewards is to live your life with full, demonstrable, even painful confidence in Christ and the sufficiency of his cross and his resurrection.

It is to say that I am willing to pay the costs now, whatever they may be, even up to the point of death, because I believe in the promises of Christ that He has secured me and that He is worth it!

Count the Rewards!

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, don't just count the costs; count the rewards!

It isn't selfish to live your life for the rewards of eternal life, and it isn't godly to live as though your treasures there aren't important to you.

These rewards are the promise of Jesus!

Count on them!

Delight in them!

Stop feeling guilty about the glories that have been promised to you! Man, Paul did.

He would say: "I consider the sufferings of this present time not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us."