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August 20, 2021 8:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ me answer you again.
You're the Messiah. See you are the Messiah, the Messiah is going to be the Davidic king is not going to be king over Israel is to be king over the whole world that's who you are, not just talk about everybody getting angry at you and then kill Peter has his own agenda for Jesus.
So to many of you have an agenda and you want Jesus to be what Jesus did the drawing of today on this additional fellowship in the work pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana doing pastoral Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word means. According to one source that I read past week. This phrase was added to our every day conversations in 1951, the phrase goes like this, you should always read the fine print before you sign on the dotted line. Now I'm not sure why was 1951. Maybe that's when they invented many thoughts for typewriters, but I do know this, that all of us have seen this in all of us are wary of this so often on television. You'll see a deal that's a wonderful deal and it's something you may really want and that the big numbers on the top of the screen are just exactly what you're looking for. I we can afford that. That looks really good and then the bottom maybe quarter of the screen is minute fine print and even if you stop the screen right there and walk up it's almost impossible to read the fine print but you better read it because in that fine print you'll find reality and that fine print. It'll contain the conditions and the terms of what it is that you are purchasing what what a product truly is almost always in our culture found in the fine print and if you ignore the fine print, you ignore it at your own peril. Couple weeks ago I started a series called simply follow Jesus Christ inviting us to follow him and last time I talked about the fact that one of the great products that if you follow Christ living in this cursed fallen world and all of the tragedy and difficulties that are around you. You can have peace that you can have peace instead of anxiety instead of worry and especially instead of fear not.
Jesus also says during his gospel ministries that he's come anomaly. Given this piece he gives us the potential to have joy. He said the joy is. Regardless, again, of the circumstances. In fact, he says to us it's my joy that I will give you any speaks often of hope, so we could have joy instead of misery and we can have peace instead of fear and we can have hope instead of despair. Now the only problem that I've observed is simply this.
So many of us don't have. There are so many people that I've met over such a long period of time they will have peace.
They don't have joy now have hope and having maybe the problem is that they never read the fine print and that's what I want to look at this morning. Would you open your Bible is the Mark chapter 8, Mark chapter 8 beginning in verse 27 what would get the context of this Mark eight verse 27 Mark writes this, he says Jesus went out along with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Now the villages of Caesarea Philippi are North about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.
It's way up there. The palace that was built there was built there by Herod, Philippi, Herod Philip, I hope this palace for Caesarea Justice. The whole area then became known as is described here Caesarea after Caesar and Philippi.
After Philip and on His Way, Jesus questions his disciples and he asked this very penetrating question who do people say that I am now. It's an interesting question and is not the only place Jesus said this the other Gospels talk about it to who do people say that I am an the answers come from all all over the map people have all kinds of ideas of who Jesus Christ is because he's so extraordinary and they told him John the Baptist. They would simply remember when John was here. They asked John who he was.
Consider you the Messiah, are you Elijah.
They say John the Baptist others say that you are Elijah the great profit that will be here before the coming of the Messiah and they said that others are just one of the prophets.
One of the great prophets of the Old Testament and Jesus continued questioning them and he said to let me put it this way.
Who do you say that I am in here and Mark you get kind of the short answer.
What's interesting is the gospel.
Mark is dictated by Peter through Mark so this is the short answer from Peter. Peter answered and said to him you are the Christ. You are the Christ, Christos you are the Messiah, you are the Messiah, just that simple. And you know Peter must've felt at that time Mike.
I know this guy ever said in the class and are asking questions.
One person after another is missing. It in any good, but I know this, and then the teacher.
The professor says do you and then you give the answer. You know, that feels maybe some of you don't but but the point is, it feels great. You have the right answer is that you had the right answer, and I'm sure Peter felt that way in the first thing that Jesus says, must've been a little bit shocking anyone them to tell no one about him keep this quiet while we keep it quiet. I thought the whole point was the proclaim at all. No, not this is not time yet. Will be soon. That's keep this quiet and then he began to teach the disciples. He says the Son of Man must suffer many things be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. I can imagine Peter thinking of anything worse. They hear the net. Peter was so happy that he had the right answer to that question. But then Jesus says don't tell anyone and now Jesus says oh by the way, this is what's going to happen to me and Peter has to be thinking I didn't sign up for that.
Not that no you see, Peter said that look. Let me answer you again. You're the Messiah.
You see, you are the Messiah, the Messiah is going to be the Davidic king is not going to be king over Israel is going to be king over the whole world that's who you are, what just talk about everybody getting angry at you and then you going to be killed. Peter has his own agenda for Jesus. And so to many of you have an agenda and you want Jesus to be what you want Jesus to be in your life. You see what Peter was thinking is what I want here. Look, I'd I want the kingdom.
I want the glory. I want the blessings that's what I want, not this talk we do the same kind of thing. That's what I want I want my agenda. You see so many of us say you know it's just that it's just wonderful that I believe in Jesus and now Jesus will be here to give me all the things in life that I really want sort of add Jesus Christ your life like you add your best investments to your portfolio or Jesus becomes a tremendous hobby to you and you just love doing it on the weekends but that's not what the Scripture says so. He was stating the matter plainly and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him first of all Peter did you just say he was the Messiah. Why would you rebuke him, it's brazen. You see, because he's a lot like we are. I know what I want out of this and I don't want even here about what he's talking about. Well, turning around and seeing his disciples, he rebukes Peter and now it even gets more shocking, get behind me Satan while Peter was just thinking minimum wonderful put a star. My four head. I wonder if he'll do something the recognize this great answer I just gave, and now I believe he just called me Satan.
Jesus knows where that answer came from Jesus knows where the rebuke comes from. You see, Satan doesn't want the cross, Satan understands the magnitude of the cross and Peter says you know I don't want to cross either. But Jesus says there's no crown without the cross won't work that way, get behind me Satan, for you are not setting your mind on God's interest, but man's there's a problem there dilemmas just like ours. This teaching moment comes than the Jesus he decides. I need to tell everybody this, not just the 12 in verse 34, he summoned the crowd and his disciples, he says, look, you need understand something here.
You guys are getting real confused about the agenda thing I didn't come here to fulfill your agenda is not why I'm here. You see I am here to die for your sins. That's why I'm here in it and I know that I ask you to follow me and you want to but you want to follow me conditionally. That is if I love the follow you as long as the kingdom and the blessing and the glory are part of it. So Jesus is while you haven't really read the contract very well.
Have you what it means. The follow, so Jesus uses this as a teaching moment and he gives the terms of the agreement.
He said if anyone wishes to come after me.
What's that mean anyone want to follow me.
Anyone who wants to come after me, he says it to the disciples, he says, is that the cried, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself. That's the first condition is the first thing you find in this small print, he must deny himself. He didn't say he should deny himself seated and say that he said he must deny himself. What's really interesting is this word deny is it sort of a compound word pop-up sauce though Papa saw slow. Not easy to say but the word means him. It's an emphatic word yeah it means they emphatically say no to yourself but it also was come to mean is used in other terms to mean to diss own or to refuse to associate with. You must disown yourself refuse to associate with yourself emphatically say no to yourself. He said that's what has to happen. Mark Bailey is the president of Dallas seminary several years ago, wrote a book to follow him highly recommend the book, the seven characteristics of a follower of Jesus Christ and right in the middle of the book is this characteristic about denying yourself and taking up your cross and Mark calls this chapter of his book. Bring your own cyanide. He captures it. That's exactly what Jesus means disown yourself.
Wait a minute that this seems a little ridiculous.net know he doesn't.
By the way does seem though like a very definitive thing in your life and if you're not experiencing the joy in the peace and the hope in your life. There's a very good chance you have not done this when unicellular someone who has done it. The apostle Paul go with me first. In Galatians chapter 2 Galatians chapter 2 policy to give you the reason for his perspective. Galatians chapter 2 in verse 20 Paul understands that when he put his faith and trust in Christ how strong that identification is he's now completely identified with Christ. The New Testament says he is now in Christ and Christ is in him. So Paul says in verse 20 he says I have been crucified with Christ. He elaborates on that and in Romans chapter 6, he said, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, while, but Christ lives in me, he said, is no longer me. I deny myself.
I disown myself I don't associate with myself. That's Paul's statement. He said it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. See Paul's whole identification is.
He is now my life I deny myself. I say no to me.
I say yes to him.
You see, that's a very important condition you say no to yourself.
And yes, the Christ, see if you don't, you're not really following up you're not really following you forget about the joy in the peace, the hope is not going to happen. You see, if you apply this in a sense of your own life, you wind up saying things like I can go there. I can't do that I can't date them. I can't work there. You see I can't because a him that you might be thinking you have.
I have a lot on the ball. You know I'm an impressive person and I like the idea of adding Jesus to me and we make a good team as long as it's about me. And then Jesus is there to help while I don't think you're as impressive as Paul I want to go with me now to Philippians chapter 3, and Paul addresses that verse four. This know what Paul says, he said you know, I know how humans like the bride. In fact Paul I think would tell you that he was a human.
He used to brag.
And Paul said it, but I had good reason to brag because I was really impressive.
He says in verse four, although I myself might have confidence even in the flash. He said if anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh I for more nearly saying he saying this to you and me. I more impressive than you in the flesh, I more impressive than you will he says what's that mean he'll show you. He says I was circumcised on the eighth day of the nation of Israel. One of the chosen people, he said of the tribe of Benjamin, the finest tribe. The tribe it was first in the battle to be in the tribe of Benjamin is to be the best of them all, that was me. He said I was a Hebrew of Hebrews, you understand.
I'm just not just Jewish, I'm the most Jewish Jewish person you could meet. I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews he said and asked the law, which is what never what defines the Hebrew he said as a matter of the law. I said Pharisee I Pharisee now that has a terrible wind wasp and had an impressive ring. Then the Pharisees were probably the most impressive people in Israel.
I said in the past that if you had a daughter, you would pray that she would one day marry a Pharisee. Everybody respected the Pharisees. They were the most about most religious people you could ever meet. And Paul says I was a Pharisee. You see I was that the Jew of Jews. Benjamin Israel eighth day circumcised. He's not done. He then says as the seal I was a persecutor of the church as to the righteousness which is found in the law, blameless think that word blameless you mean nobody had the dirt on Paul or Saul of Tarsus now when it came to keeping the law. I kept it, at least overtly, where you could see it you can buy me.
He said I was sell us a Pharisee of the Pharisees. You see, that's Paul saying that's who I am. More importantly it Paul saying that's who I used to be. That's why was now watch what he says but whatever things were gain to me these things he said. I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. I deny them because I deny me. I disown them because I disown me. He said more than that. He said I can't do all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ, my Lord, whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and I count them, he says, but rubbish that I may gain Christ some translations more accurately with words as rubbish says Don. So you say to Paul all the things you've accomplished your heritage in who you are and how religious you were a hottie how you look at all that done case that I deny: the student knows the good news got that idea Pastor Bill on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online event website you will find on with today's broadcast so many of our previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word we are thinking for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that SBC and oh LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sensors are looking for.
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