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· 2 viewsWhen we settle for something we settle for less. Christians have a tendancy to "settle" for only believing in Jesus and sacrifice following Jesus
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Settling for something Good Sacrifices something Great
Settling for something Good Sacrifices something Great
Series Set up
There are a lot of different opinions on what Christianity is. Some believe you have to believe harder and do better. Some believe it’s a game of Simon says and it’s really exhausting.
Sermon Setup
The easiest way to sacrifice something great is to settle for something good
That’s why we give the “don’t settle” advice to people.
Yeah, he’s cute but he doesn’t bathe. Trust me, don’t settle. You’ll regret it.
Take the job that will make you happy
Example: We want to sell our house and build a new one. Last week I was talking with some friends in our life group and they asked why we haven’t moved forward and the only reason is because we know what it involves. There’s a lot of decisions, frustrations, moving, and waiting. We look around our home, and we love it but at the same time we talk about the things we’d do differently for ascetics or flow or just because there’s something we want.
But, honestly, we’re settled. We’re comfortable. We see the journey ahead and really aren’t looking forward to dealing with all that yet because we’ve settled in.
It’s good to have a friend to remind you of that to help you move forward when it’s difficult. Today I want to be that friend to all of you.
I believe we face that same challenge in Christianity. We have a tendency to settle for something good when something great is available.
Today I want to encourage you to take that step, whatever it may be for you, into uncertainty and do the very thing Jesus invited us to do. Follow.
We see Jesus address this very thin with his disciples.
Jesus had already made quite a name for himself. Everywhere He went large crowds were following Him for one reason or another. Maybe they wanted to see Him perform another miracle, maybe they needed a miracle, maybe they were intrigued by His teaching, or maybe it was a combination of everything. If you can kind of imagine there was a large crowd always getting word where Jesus was or where He was heading and they would be there. Jesus asked his disciples this question.
The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 16
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, k He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”
Peter finally gets something right. The most popular disciple, but known by most for saying the wrong thing, finally says the right thing. He says, “Jesus, you’re the Messiah”.
Messiah means, ‘The Christ’. God’s anointed one. The Jewish people were waiting for God to send the chosen one and this is when Peter confessed who he believed Jesus was. I’m sure the other disciples where shocked. Wait…He said something right? Jesus says, yes! You got it Simon, good job!
The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 16
17 And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, p you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven.”
20 And He gave the disciples orders to tell no one that He was the Messiah.
Up until this moment Peter was known as Simon. When he confessed his belief that Jesus was the Messiah he was given a new name, a new identity, a new purpose.
The names of people meant a lot. It was intentionally chosen and their identity was in what their name meant.
It set the direction for their life and show what
Shows the parents heart towards the child (Wrestled with God, Exalted, hairy, or whoopsie)
Jesus gave Simon a new name. Peter.
This is significant and is a perfect picture of what happens with you and me. This is what Paul is talking about all the time. The moment we put our faith in Jesus as Messiah we are a brand new creation. Not that we get everything right all the time, as we’re about to see but we are given access to a brand new life and new purpose.
That’s what we see Jesus say to Peter right here. But Peter’s streak of saying and doing the right thing doesn’t last too long. He almost immediately puts that foot right back in his mouth.
The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 16
21 From then on Jesus began to point out to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to You!”
Peter just claimed that Jesus was Messiah, the Son of God, then rebuked Him.
He pulled Him to the side and said, ‘wait Jesus, do you remember how you said I was the rock you were going to build your church on? I don’t know exactly what that meant but I assume it means you want me to give you some advice…Don’t start getting negative on us. Look at the crowd that’s following you. Look at all these people who came to hear what you have to say. If you start getting negative, these people may not stick around. Why don’t we go back and perform a miracle or two. Maybe tell that story about the little bad kid who took his inheritance and the dad took him back in. People love that one.
Look what Jesus says to him...
The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 16
23 But He turned and told Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s.”
This is it. Jesus just pointed out
Belief in Jesus and Following Jesus are two different things
This is the tension we face. It’s the same thing Peter faced.
He believed in Jesus. He confessed Jesus was the Messiah. He was the Son of God and he was given a new name, a new identity, a new life, and a new purpose. When it came to following God’s path, he had his own ideas as to what that would look like. And Jesus calls him out on it.
He says, Peter, you’re not concerned about what’s going to happen to me. You’re concerned with what’s going to happen to you because of what happens to me. You’re thinking about yourself. You’re thinking about what’s best for you.
Peter tried to fit God’s plan into his plan. Peter settled for believing and sacrificed following.
It’s almost like Jesus is asking Peter and us...
Are you following me because of what I’m going to do for you
Or because of what I’m going to do through you?
Peter faced this same tension we all face. The tension where God’s plans and our plans collide. That difficult moment when the goal of following Jesus and taking that step He’s asking us to take isn’t an easy decision because it’s going to cost us something.
Comfort
Relationship
Money
Self-correction
If you’ve been following Jesus very long, you know this.
Salvation/Belief costs you nothing and requires nothing of you.
Following Jesus will eventually cost you something.
And when we come across those moments, if you’re anything like me, your tendency is to sacrifice following and settle for belief.
I know Jesus doesn’t want me dating him/her because they don’t share the same values as me (ie faith, purity, family) but I don’t want to lose them.
Yeah, but Jesus, we’ve finally gotten to a good place and if I tell them this it could ruin everything.
Yeah, Jesus, I know I need to say this or do that, but it could ruin my reputation and everything I’ve worked for.
Yeah, Jesus, I know I need to let this go but it’s really the only thing that’s making me happy right now.
Come on, when we get to those moments it’s easy to just settle for believing in Jesus and put off following Jesus. But, what we’ll notice if we look through the Gospels is Jesus never invited His disciples to believe in Him. He taught about believing in Him, but He never invited His disciples to believe. He invited them to follow.
Because when we follow Jesus it builds our belief in Him. Have you ever tried to just believe harder? When you follow, you see and experience the greatness and reliability of Jesus.
Mustang illustration - The more I drove it the more confidence I had in it.
That’s why Jesus’ invitation was always ‘follow’ Him.
The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 16
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.
“Come with Me” = Be my disciple. Follow after me and do what I do.
Deny himself -
We understand this. We do this all the time. It’s giving up what you want now for what you want most. It’s exactly what Peter just faced. It’s when we’re standing at the crossroads of God’s will and our desires. Denying is resisting those desires that move us out of the believers who follow category to simply believers.
Take up his cross
We breeze by this because it doesn’t carry the same weight that it would have to all the people listening to Jesus here. The cross to us is a piece of jewelry or decoration that sometimes serves as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made. But when Jesus said this to this crowd it would have shaken them to their core. But to us it means something completely different.
It’s not just resisting those desires we have that move us away from following Jesus but removing them. It’s taking an active role in shaping your life in a way that craves the God’s will for our life regardless where it takes us.
I know what your thinking. It’s the same thing I was thinking as I was studying this week. It’s the same thing the disciples and crowd listening were thinking when Jesus said this.
That sounds terrible. Why in the world would I do that.
Then Jesus makes this statement and it’s brilliant. It has to start tying everything together for Peter because he just had this significant moment where Jesus gave him a new name, purpose, identity, and mission.
The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 16
25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.
I wonder if he stopped for a moment and thought...
Wait, Jesus. You’re talking really fast and it’s confusing. Let me make sure I’ve got this right.
First you asked who everyone thought you were and we told you they thought you were a profit. Then you asked who we thought you were and, of course, I answered correctly and said you were the Son of God. Then we had this amazing moment where you gave me a new name, new purpose, new identity, a new life really. Then you called me Satan. Uncool, by the way. And now your saying
“Save his life…lose it…Lose life because of me…find it”
Save life…lose it.
This life is temporary. All the things you acquire and all of emotions and things your trying to hold on to they have an expiration date. But remember that new life? The new purpose, new identity, new heart is what only found by willingly giving up those things you’re going to give up eventually anyway.
And let’s be honest. We’re really not losing anything. We’re really just taking back the control that all these things have taken from us.
Money and financial comfort has been behind the wheel for so long, and has been the deciding factor of my choices that it’s hurt the relationships that matter most.
What’s going to make me happy or feel good has been the deciding factor for so long that it’s caused me to compromise my integrity and values
The need for power has been in the drivers seat and I’ve got it, but i’ve really hurt people along the way
Jesus is saying, all those things we’ve been holding onto, we’re going to lose those anyway. They are all temporary. But I’m offering you an opportunity to give those up in a way that makes a difference. Not just now, but for eternity. While they’re still thinking about that incredible statement Jesus made He says this...
The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 16
26 What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
Jesus asks this question, what good is it if you were to get everything you’ve ever wanted, held onto everything you’ve ever desired but lost your soul in the process.
Really, He’s asking a question that forces us to think beyond the now and into tomorrow. If I could go back and teach young Aaron anything, if I could encourage parents who have rebellious kids anything, it would be to learn from a young age how to think beyond the right now.
Rope illustration
But what Jesus is saying here is that the way we live in this part (tape portion) effects the way we will exist for all of this part (rest of rope)
And it’s not just us that it effects. A willingness to let go of those things that are keeping us from following Jesus we discover impact the lives of everyone around us. We’re reading letters from people who lived over 2000 years ago and their words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are shaping our lives still to this day.
That’s the life Jesus is inviting us to when He invites us to follow Him. It’s not a life that pursue sacrifice. It doesn’t make you a better follower of Jesus if you look for ways to suffer. That’s never what Jesus teaches. He doesn’t teach us to purse sacrifice but just not to avoid it.
When we come to those moments when we feel like Jesus is leading us to
have this talk
move in this direction
let go of this thing
serve in this capacity
forgive this person
break up with this person
abandon this image
Those are defining moments. These are moments that not only show us who we are but who we belong to. Are we controlled and shaped by the temporary things of this world or are we controlled and shaped by Jesus.