Finding Balance in Life

This is part 4 of a series we have been going through each week. You can look back at previous posts to go into depth, but here's a quick recap:

Week 1 - Our culture says we ought to be independent, but we all depend on Jesus for life and salvation. Whether we like it or not, we are dependents.

Week 2 - Our culture tells us we need to be handle everything on our own and not rely on others, but God provided the church so that we could have a support system and people to help us with our burdens.

Week 3 - Our culture promotes the idea of pursuing the "easy life" - looking for success and wealth so we can sit back and relax. God never promised us an easy life, even for those who follow Him, but He did promise to never leave us alone. Not only did He provide the church as a support network, but He also promised to always be with us no matter what we go through. In the midst of darkness, He is our Light.

    We each have a list of responsibilities that we have to deal with. Some of you may have a longer list than others. Here is a simple list to think about:

- School (grades, GPA, friends, teachers)

- Home (chores, siblings, parents, questions)

- Sports (practice, games, exercising)

- Instruments (practice, recitals, being reminded to practice)

- Work (shifts, coworker/manager drama, customers)

- Finances (saving up for college/car/vacation, insurance, gas)

- Hard times

    That last one ought to cover most of what may have been missed in terms of things that give us stress, worry, or anxiety. And on top of all these responsibilities, as Christians we are called to do so much more:

- Love our neighbors (and enemies)

- Help those in need

- Support our neighbors

- And one of the most difficult things: BE LIKE JESUS CHRIST.

    Why is that so difficult? Well, He was literally perfect, He performed miracles, He was patient, wise, loving and compassionate, and He wasn't afraid to call people out when they were in the wrong. He was the Son of God. He died for the sins of the world. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

    He's a hard man to emulate. There's just so much going on. And yet, that's what we are called to do - to be like Jesus.

    As we put all of these together, it can very easily lead to even more stress as we try to do everything and do it like Jesus. It can be overwhelming. So what does God tell us to do?

Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

    I don't know about you, but the advice "just don't worry about it" doesn't work for me. THANKFULLY, God doesn't leave it there. He says, "Don't worry. Instead, turn it over to me. Let me take on the stress and the anxiety and the worry. Let me handle it. Trust me with it."

    Whether it be a worldly thing we are worrying about, or a spiritual thing that we feel like we are not living up to, God says we can bring it to Him. When Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine, He took away the threat of punishment and death from those who believe in Him as their Lord and Savior. When we fail, when we mess up, when we don't measure up, God doesn't hold that against us.

The pressure is off.

    While we are called to be like Jesus, God knows that we could never measure up to that standard on our own. He knows we are going to fail at times. He knows we are going to fall short some days. He doesn't hold our shortcomings against us. Our goal ought to be to do our very best to be like Jesus, but not to give up hope or become overwhelmed by anxiety when we fail.

Luke 9:23-24 - "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever looses their life for me will save it.'"

    The call to be like Jesus is a daily endeavor. Every day we make the decision to leave behind our old self and become more like Jesus. That's what it means to take up our cross. We are taking up death, the death of who we used to be, to then follow in the new life we have received in Jesus.

    The point of this message is to help you find a balance between God's expectations and God's grace. He expects us to be more and more like Jesus every day, but He also extends us grace when we fall short.

Think about all the people in the Old Testament who fell short, and God used them anyway:

- Moses literally murdered someone.

- Abraham was a liar.

- Gideon was a bit of a scaredy-cat and lacked trust in God at times.

- David committed adultery and then sent the woman's husband to his death in battle.

- Jonah ran away from God.

    These are just a few examples of people who God used even though they weren't perfect. We see the same in the New Testament:

- Saul (who we know as Paul) hunted down, persecuted, and imprisoned Christians (before becoming one himself).

- Matthew, one of Jesus' disciples, was a tax collector (a profession known for dishonesty and greed).

- Peter denied Jesus three times.

    Of all the people in the Bible, even the Christians, only one was perfect: Jesus Christ. We are called to be like Him, but there is grace when we fall short.

    God's measure of a successful life is whether or not we followed in Jesus' footsteps. He wants to see us try to be like Jesus and to try to follow His example. So, to sum up some takeaways from this message:

1. Success = following God.

2. Any "failing" on your part has, is, and will be forgiven - you are loved, always.

3. You have an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God on your side.

4. You have a community of fellow believers willing and wanting to help.

    So, as you are looking for how to live your life, and what to do in your life, make sure you are finding that balance between God's expectation to be like Jesus and His grace when you fall short. Whatever worries, struggles, or anxieties you face, entrust them to God.

What Do You Do When Life Feels Hopeless

 This post is now two and a half weeks late. Oops.

As I wasn't the speaker for this message, you get the super-condensed version that I can glean from the notes. ;) You're welcome.

    This is part 3 of a series of messages which build on each other. You can look back at previous posts to go in-depth, but so far we have talked about our dependency on God, that we all must rely on Him for life and salvation, and that we also have each other to lean on in times of trouble and strife.

    Life comes with a lot of struggles. Whatever phase of life you are in, I guarantee you're facing some kind of struggle, anxiety, or stress. When things get really bad, it can feel awful to need to rely on others for support, but it is important for us to remember that as a church, we are a support network for each other.

    The thing is, a support network can only get us so far. Ultimately, we have to go back to the first lesson and remember that we all must rely on God. When things get dark, look to the Light.

James 5:13 - "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray."

Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Matthew 6:7-8 - "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

    When we are facing darkness, in the midst of darkness, or overwhelmed by darkness, we are told to look to the Lord in prayer. He is there for you, just as He was there for the people we read about in the Bible.

    As you read through the Psalms of David, you will see him over and over crying out to the Lord in desperation, in anguish, in darkness. And often he doesn't get the answer he was looking for, but he is reminded of the steadfast love of the Lord and all the good He has done in his life, and his anguish turns to praise.

    Jesus promised all those who follow Him that He would always be with them. And that doesn't mean He will deliver us from every situation or circumstance, but it does mean He will be there with us through those situations and circumstances as a support and a comfort.

    So, if you're struggling, if life is hard right now, or you are just feeling down, I have two encouragements for you. First, share your burden with some other believers. Find a community of Christians you can trust and share your struggles with them, let them be a support for you. Second, look to the Lord in prayer. Bring your struggles, bring your sorrows, bring your anxieties, bring your strife, bring your darkness to Him and let Him comfort and guide you through. Let Him be the lamp to your feet and the light to your path.

When life feels hopeless, look to the One who gives hope to all who believe.

We Need Each Other

    In the last post we took a look at our basic need for God - our dependency on Him for salvation and eternal life. The gist of it is, we cannot get salvation, forgiveness for our sins, or eternal life on our own. The standard to get it is nothing short of perfection. If you're less than perfect (and you are less than perfect, sorry to burst your bubble there), then you cannot get to God. There is nothing you can do. And this is why Jesus came to the earth. He lived the perfect life we never could. He paid the penalty for all of our sins like we never could (His death on the cross). And He rose from the dead like we never could (and I don't mean His heart stopped for a few minutes - He was dead dead, like really dead for a couple of days). And what He accomplished in all of this was making a way for us to get to God. So, it is only by grace, through faith in Jesus, that we can be forgiven for our sins, receive salvation from Hell, and live forever with God. For that, we are entirely dependent on God.

    Ok, so that was a longer summary than I intended, but it needed to be said. I hope that puts it in perspective for you. So, if we are already entirely dependent on God for our salvation, then why do we try to stop there? Like, "Okay, God, thanks for the salvation and all but I got the rest of it on my own". No! That's not how we're meant to live, and it's not how we have to live. Jesus said to those who follow Him in Matthew 11:28-30:

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

    When we face trials, struggles, hardships, anxieties, stress, and anything else life has to throw at us, we are told by God that we can take these things to Him. We can continue to rely and depend on Him for comfort, peace, and guidance through whatever comes our way. That's an incredible hope, knowing that we can rely on the all-powerful God to see us through our struggles!

    But that's not all. Read through the following Bible verses and see if you can put together the common theme running throughout them all. (And try not to just skim, these verses are more important than anything I could say in this post - you'll benefit the most from these).

Psalm 133:1 - Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Matthew 18:20 - For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

John 13:34-35 – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Acts 2:42-47 - And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 12:5 - So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Romans 12:5 -  so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:10-13 - Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 - that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Galatians 6:2 - Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Philippians 2:3-4 - So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Colossians 3:13 - bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

James 5:16 – Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power as it is working.

1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

1 Peter 4:8-10 - Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.

1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Common theme?

Acceptable answers include: community, bearing with one another in love, loving each other, fellowship (if you want to use the church-y word), or anything along those lines.

    Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to bear with one another in love, to carry each others burdens, to support and encourage each other. He points out over and over the importance of having a solid community of faith around you. As you read through the New Testament in particular, almost every letter from the apostles includes some kind of call to love and support fellow believers. We just read through a bunch of them above.

    Life comes with highs and lows, and just as we can go to God with these - giving thanks for the good things and seeking guidance for the bad - we also ought to share our burdens with one another. We do not have to face life - or figure it out - alone. Our faith isn't just between us and God, but is shared with every other Christian in the world. That's a big community!

    God provided the "church" (the gathering or assembly of believers) so that we could gather together as a community and care for each other, not just so we could sing some songs, play some games, or hear some messages. Those are good things, but the real purpose of meeting together regularly like we do is to love one another and worship God together.

That's why Jesus boiled down the entire Old Testament Law into two commands:

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

    And just as we are loving our neighbor, they are loving us, and it's an amazing support network of fellow Jesus-followers.

    When you're at youth group, or for those of you who attend a church, do you ever feel like you can't open up? Do you ever feel like you can't share what's really going on under the surface? Do you ever feel like you have to put on your "happy face" and pretend everything is okay, even when it is not?

    I'll be honest, I used to feel this way all the time, especially in youth group. Even today, there are times when I feel like I have to shove the bad stuff down and smile. When I was in youth group, I felt like the other students wouldn't really care about what was going on, or that they would look at me different if they knew. And I know it can feel like that for you, too.

    But part of the purpose of Christian communities like a youth group or local church is for them to be a place where you can open up about what's going on in your life, where you can share the struggles and trials you're facing, and where the people around you can love and support and encourage you as you go through life.

    One of our leaders couldn't be at our meeting last night because a family in his other church had lost their child. He was with the family at the funeral, just being there for them as they mourned. When someone from our community goes through something devastating like that, we are called to show up, to be there for them in their hour of need. Likewise, when we are going through something, members of our community ought to show up, to be there for us.

    But, how can they be there if they don't know what's going on? This is why God places so much emphasis on sharing with each other and bearing each others burdens. I am not saying you have to tell every Christian you meet everything that's going on, but you should connect with your Family Group leaders, or other trusted members of your faith community, and open up about whatever struggles you're facing.

You don't have to face those things alone.

    I know that I am moving soon, and I won't be around in person after this summer is over, but just because I am not with you in person doesn't mean I have stopped caring about you. Wherever I am, and wherever you are, I want you to know that you can always call/text/email/dm me when you need someone to talk to. We are eternally bonded by our common faith in Jesus.

We depend on God.

We depend on each other.

We need each other.

Amen.

We Are All Dependents

For anyone familiar with the US tax system - no, we are not talking about filing taxes. That's not the kind of "dependent" we're talking about today.

    My dad is an extremely hard worker. His work ethic is exemplary (particularly within the church). Having grown up in the church, I saw him plug in all over the place - setting up for events, shoveling snow, working the car wash - whatever needed to get done he was there to help. As I grew up, I slowly took on his work ethic for myself, too. But there was a dark side to it that I also took on - my dad hated asking for help. He was always willing to help others, but never willing to receive help himself.

    When we see someone working on something, our first instinct is to step in help them get it done. However, if someone came up to me and asked if I needed help, my immediate answer is almost always "no". Technically, its an honest answer. Do I need help most of the time? No. I am capable of completing most tasks on my own, and I like it that way. But even if I don't need help, I could certainly benefit from it. Whatever I am doing, I can probably do it faster and better with help that on my own.

    So why wouldn't I want help? Well, I think it comes down to the fact that we live in such an individualistic society. American culture pushes the idea of being self-sufficient, independent, and doing things on your own. We see it all the time in TV shows, where one of the characters will have this really hard thing to do, and they'll be like, "This is something I have to do on my own". EVEN THOUGH it would go way better and be much easier if they accepted the help of their friends or family.

    We did a little game during youth group where one of the students had to take plastic balls from one bucket and run them, one by one, across the room to another bucket. The goal was to see how many he could run across in 30 seconds. He was pretty fast, and managed to get 7.

    So then we added 5 more people, and they formed a line and passed the balls down the line into the other bucket. As you can imagine, they were able to get a lot more working together than he could by himself. I believe they reached 18.

    But then I added one more challenge to the game. Or rather, took something away. I took away the bucket that had the balls in it. Guess how many they were able to get across without that bucket? 0. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Without access to the bucket, they couldn't do anything, even when working together.

Our message focuses on one verse:

John 15:5 - "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

    This is Jesus speaking to His disciples about the life and work He has called them to. When we put our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive new life from Him, and with that new life comes a whole mission to make disciples of every nation all over the world. We are called to live for Him, according to His Word and teaching, and to share the good news about salvation through Him to everyone we meet.

    In this verse He gives both an encouragement and a warning to those who have put their faith in Him. The encouragement is that when we stay connected to Him, He will empower us for ministry. He will give us the energy we need to "bear much fruit" and live the life He has called us to. He will work through us to spread salvation to our friends and family. This is wonderful news!

    But the warning is that when we are disconnected from Him, our efforts will be fruitless. We cannot live the life or do the work He has called us to without being directly and consistently connected to Him. We won't be able to live according to His Word, we won't be able to obey His teachings, and we won't be effective in bringing the good news to others when we are disconnected from Jesus.

    Jesus is the bucket from that game earlier. When we have Him in our lives, we can do some great work for God's Kingdom. When we have Him and other believers working alongside us, we can accomplish even more amazing things! But when He is not there, when we are disconnected from Him, we cannot do nothing.

    As I mentioned before, our culture pushes this idea that we have to be self-sufficient, that we have to be independent. But when we put our faith in Jesus, we are already acknowledging that we are not self-sufficient. Jesus is the only way to salvation - we cannot obtain salvation without Him. We already depend on Him for salvation, so why stop there?

    Our culture tells us that dependency is a weakness, that we are weak if we need to rely on someone else. But Jesus says that's ok. Because we absolutely have to depend on Him. And He says that unless we depend wholly on Him, we cannot live the life He has given us.

    So, if you want to live for God, if you want to serve Him, if you want to please Him, and receive the joy, peace, and love that His life offers, you have to keep going back to Him.

How do we connect to God?

By spending time reading His Word.

By spending time praying to Him.

By spending time worshiping His name and His mighty works.

By spending time with other believers.

    Ask yourself this: how often do you do those things? How often do you read the Bible per week? How often do you pray each week? How often do you worship God? And how often do you spend time with other Christians?

Once you have answer for those questions, consider this: How connected do you feel to God?

    Let me reassure you, if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are saved. God is with you wherever you go and He will never leave nor forsake you. But the question is meant to assess how connected you feel. Because I am willing to bet that if you don't spend much time in the Word, in prayer, in worship or with other believers, you probably don't feel very connected with God.

    And this isn't some kind of a recipe for connectedness, as though you can do these things and always see an immediate result. But these are the practices of those who are actively seeking to be near to God. He has revealed Himself in His Word, He communes with us in prayer, He transforms our hearts when we worship, and He encourages us through fellowship with other believers.

    If you want to be connected with God and be effective in the work of His Kingdom, these are solid practices to help get you there. These teach us to depend on God, because after all, we are all dependents.

Students of the Word - Training in Godliness

If you want to test your basic knowledge of the Bible, try out this online quiz and see how you do. 

Student: scholar or learner; one who attends a school; one who studies

When we think of "students", typically we think of school, children, homework, quizzes and tests, grades, etc. The truth is, anyone can be a student. It doesn't matter your age or whether or not you go to school. A student is someone who studies a particular body of knowledge. Sometimes the goal is simply to know more, but usually there is some practical application for seeking that knowledge. You might study biology if you want to go into the medical field. You would study mathematics and physics to go into architecture or engineering. You might study history and geology to go into archaeology. In my case, I studied the Bible to go into full-time ministry.

Disciple: a follower, or student, of a teacher, leader, or philosopher

Students study a particular body of knowledge. Disciples study a particular person. 2,000 years ago, disciples would study under their master with the goal of becoming as much like their master as possible. They would study everything about him from his mannerisms to his teachings. Some might go so far as to cut their hair the same way. They wanted to be able to be as much like their master as possible so that when people looked at them, they could see their master.

When Jesus picked out the 12 disciples and said "Come, follow me", this is what He was calling them to. He was saying, "come and study under me, learn from me, so that you can be like me". Today, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become His disciples. We become students of the Word (the Bible) so that we can know more about Jesus and His life, then like disciples we try our best to become like Him in every way.

Our verse today is short and simple:

1 Timothy 4:8 - "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

"For physical training is of some value..."

I played soccer most of my grade school life, up through 11th grade. In that time I spent a lot of time training physically, learning how to pass, shoot, and work together with my teammates. We also ran...a lot. That was part of the training so that we would be able to have the endurance to keep playing through all 4 quarters of the game.

My senior year of high school I decided to change things up a bit by switching to cross country. I was the only guy on the team, and also the only senior. I found out in the first practice that I was not ready for cross country. In competition, you have to run a 5k, which is roughly 3.2 miles. I couldn't run 1 mile. I was out of breath, wheezing, my heart beating out of my chest, legs shaking, side cramping.

What did I need to do?

Train.

Over the next few months I kept coming back and I kept on running. As I did, I found that I was able to go farther before losing my breath. Eventually, I was able to run the full 3.2 miles. Then, as I continued to train, I found that I could go faster. Eventually, I built up my speed to at least not come last in the meets. But it took time and continued effort. It took training to get to that point.

As a result, my body was healthier, my heart was happier - there was definitely value in that physical training. And that's what Paul was talking about in 1 Timothy 4:8. Physical training has clear value. Usually we get to see results when we train physically, whether it be bigger muscles, clearer tone, loss of fat, increased energy or endurance, or even increased happiness. Yes, physical training has been shown to positively impact your mood. Crazy.

But Paul doesn't stop there. He goes on to say that while physical training has some value, godliness has value for all things. He says it holds promise for both the present life and the life to come. In some translations, it even says training in godliness. What do you think that means?

Physical training is when we practice things physically so our bodies can get used to it and get better at it. Taking that into godly training would mean practicing things spiritually so we can get used to being like Jesus and get better at living like Jesus in every way. This requires two basic things: knowing Jesus and putting that knowledge into action. It means being a student of the Word and then training ourselves to be like Jesus every day.

1. Being a Student of the Word

For Christians, this is what we always come back to - because it is so central to our faith. We have to read and know the Bible. The Bible is where we first find out about Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, and it is where we find the full story of God's redemptive plan for us. From the beginning to the future end, the Bible unpacks everything we need to know about God and how He wants us to live in this life. Plus, it tells us what to expect in the next life, which is why training in godliness has value in this life and the life to come. Our bodies, no matter how fit or strong, don't go with us to the next life. But godliness does.

To be a student of the Word means not just reading, but studying the Bible. Seeking to understand it and know it. Then you have to apply it.

2. Training in Godliness

This is where many Christians tend to get lazy. They might have the knowledge, but they don't do anything with it. It is one thing to know what the Bible says, or to know how Jesus lived, but it is another thing to live that way yourself. So, once you know how Jesus lived, and how He wants you to live, find ways to do it! Practice living that way in real life!

Jesus is known to be generous, so you should practice generosity with others. The more you practice, the more easily it will come to you as you train yourself in it.

Jesus is known as a servant to all - He came to serve, not be served. Find ways to serve others, maybe in small ways at first, then in bigger ways. Let service characterize your life like it characterized Jesus' life.

Jesus loved deeply, so much so that He was willing to die on behalf of those He loved (like you and me). Practice loving others with a sacrificial love. Train yourself to start putting the needs of others before your own needs.

Being a disciple of Jesus means more than just being saved. It means studying Jesus and trying to be like Him in every way possible. And this takes time, it doesn't happen overnight. We have to keep going, even when it gets hard (especially when it gets hard). That's what it means to train. So don't give up. If you are a disciple of Jesus, keep going. Study the Word, train in godliness, and be like Jesus. Trust me, if you stick with it you will see the results.

The Lord Will Be With You, Always

 I don't know about you, but when I hear that phrasing I always imagine it said with Obi Wan's voice when he says to Luke "The force will be with you, always".

Yesterday was May 4, or as the nerds call it, May THE 4th - Star Wars day. (May the 4th be with you?) You want to know what I found out last night? Most of you aren't nerds... oops.

I want this post to be an encouragement to you. To give you a little insight to the story of Star Wars, the thrust of the plot centers around "the force" - a mystical energy that binds all things together. It is impersonal (like the wind, or water, or gravity) but can be harnessed by certain individuals and used to do some pretty amazing things like jumping super high, running fast, moving things with your mind, or influencing the minds of others. Throughout the story we are introduced to two equal but opposing sides - the light and the dark side of the force. Those who use the light side of the force are called Jedi, and are generally considered to be the "good guys". Those who use the dark side are called Sith, and they are almost always the "bad guys" and are definitely evil.

Star Wars is the struggle between these two sides as they battle for control and dominance over the galaxy - the Sith want to rule while the Jedi want balance and peace. Its your average "good vs. evil" or "light vs. dark" story.

As I mentioned at the beginning, one of the characters, Obi Wan, is one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy and he comes across Luke, who is found to be a powerful force user. Obi Wan takes him under his wing and trains him to better use the force, and as a Jedi, trains him to use the light side. As they are about to go into a dangerous mission, he encourages Luke by saying, "The force will be with you, always". This is a common phrase for the Jedi, as their whole philosophy involves meditating and understanding the force - in contrast with the Sith who just want to control it for their own gain. But when you think about it, that "encouragement" can be used for either side. Both the Jedi and the Sith are using the force, which is an impersonal energy that binds things together. It doesn't choose sides, and it doesn't favor one side over the other. It's not like the force is rooting for the Jedi in this cosmic battle - the force is with both sides.

Now, let's look at a real encouragement.

Matthew 28:18-20 - "And Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

Jesus says this to His disciples just before He ascends into Heaven. He is sending them out on a mission to bring the Gospel message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ to the world. And His final encouragement to them is this: "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age". No matter what they face on this mission (persecution, rejection, sickness, or even death) Jesus promised that He would be with them through it all.

In Star Wars, this encouragement didn't mean too much (at least in my mind) since the force was used by both sides. The light side and the dark side were equal in power.

But in reality as we read through the Bible, we find that same struggle between light and dark, good and evil. We find Satan (the devil) fighting against Jesus. That struggle continues through today as Satan does everything he can to keep people from believing in Jesus. But there is a major difference between Star Wars and reality: Satan is not God's equal.

I think people can forget that Satan is a created being. He is not omni-present, omni-potent, or omniscient (that is, present everywhere, all-powerful, or all-knowing). Only God holds those qualities. What this means is that in the battle between good and evil, good is a lot more powerful than evil. These are not equal, opposing forces.

So when Jesus encourages His disciples by saying that He will always be with them, through everything, He is encouraging them with the knowledge that the all-powerful God is on their side. They are on the winning side.

That's the encouragement for us, too. Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ, and we are on the same mission He gave in Matthew 28:18-20. We are on a mission to share the Gospel with the world and lead others to faith in Jesus Christ. And as we go about that mission, we have the promise that Jesus is with us, fighting for us. And we are armed with the knowledge that He wins in the end. We are on the winning side.

So...

GO!

MAKE DISCIPLES!

TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS!

BRING THEM TO THE LIGHT!

Because as you go, Jesus is right there with you. He promised. And He always keeps His promises.

The Lord will be with you, always.

Christians and the Call for Encouragement

    Have you ever been feeling down, and then someone says just the right thing to cheer you up? I feel like this usually happens with people who know you well, because those are the people who tend to know what you need to hear.

    Have you ever been in a tight spot, then someone seems to come out of nowhere and help you out? For a short person, this could be as small an act as a tall person coming into your aisle at the grocery store and reaching the top shelf for you. Or it could be if you're lost on your first day at a new school and a random student notices and helps you find where you're supposed to go. Or perhaps you've tripped and fallen running from zombies in the zombie apocalypse (someone always trips) and a stranger rushes in to help you escape the clutches of the undead.

    How do you feel after these experiences? Relieved? Sure, I know I would be in that last situation. But I think you know the word we're looking for here: encouraged. When someone lifts your spirits, or steps in to help or support you, it encourages you.

    While it is awesome to be on the receiving end of this, as Christians we are called to be an encouragement to others. Encouragement is defined as "the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope". This can take the form of words, actions, or sometimes just being present. 

    We're going to be looking at the example of a man from the early church who was so known for his encouragement skills that he literally earned the nickname "Son of Encouragement". His birth name is Joseph, and he is a Jewish man from a place called Cyprus.

Acts 4:32-37 - "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet."

    A couple of things are going on here: the early church was made up of wealthy and not-so-wealthy people, but their community was so strong and connected that everyone shared what they had with everyone else. This made it so that no one in the Christian community went hungry or without a place to stay. The apostles, those who were Jesus' disciples during His earthly ministry and had witnessed His resurrection, were testifying to the truth of the gospel, and as they did this they made sure that the shared possessions and money from the people got distributed properly to everyone who had need. Could you imagine a community like this? It sounds like they were a real family, with everyone taking care of the needs of everyone else.

    Joseph, called Barnabas, was one of those wealthier members of the community and he participated in sharing what he had to make sure everyone was taken care of. This is our introduction to this man. It was the apostles who called him a "son of encouragement", which tells us that his generosity and support of other believers was above and beyond most of the others in the community.

Now, in this first example, what did Barnabas say or do to be an encouragement to his fellow believers?

    We aren't told that he said anything, only that he sold a field and gave the money from the sale to the apostles to give to whoever needed it. His actions were an encouragement because he was providing for needs. This could be like if you sold your PS5 to help a friend pay for summer camp, or if you offered to pay for a friend's lunch, or in that early example, if you were the tall person who stepped in to help a short person reach something on the top shelf in the grocery store. It's the idea of stepping in to offer help to someone in need. And Barnabas earned his nickname because he was so good at doing this.

Acts 11:19-24 - "Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord."

    In case you are unfamiliar with the history of the early church, after Jesus rose from the dead He spent about 40 days with His disciples before ascending into Heaven. Shortly after He ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit down to fill His disciples and empower them for ministry, so that they would be able to spread the good news of His resurrection and the salvation He offers to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth. Acts chapter 2 shows the coming of the Holy Spirit and Peter's first sermon - in Jerusalem. Literally thousands of people hear his message and believe in Jesus, and that's when the church really kicked off. Unfortunately, the news about Jesus was offensive to the religious leaders of that time, and they started to persecute the church. It started with imprisonments, but eventually escalated to executions by stoning (a large crowd surrounding someone and throwing big stones at them until they were unalived). Stephen, who is mentioned at the start of the last passage, was the first Christian to get stoned to death, and the persecution of the church got really bad after that.

    The persecution forced Christians to spread out away from Jerusalem, which brought the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the areas around Jerusalem (Judea and Samaria), but as we see above, they were only preaching to other Jews. That is, until some of them decided to start preaching to non-Jews (the Hellenists / Greeks / Gentiles), and those non-Jews GOT SAVED! This is where Jesus' plan for the gospel to reach the ends of the earth gets some traction.

    If you recall, Barnabas is originally from Cyprus, right next to Antioch where this is going down. The church catches wind of these non-Jews coming to faith, and they decide to send Barnabas there to check it out. He shows up, his heart leaps as he sees more and more people coming to faith in the Lord. He was encouraged by what God was doing. Having been encouraged by God, he steps in to encourage the new believers.

    How does he do it this time? This time he's not using money. This time he uses his words. The word used above is "exhort", which means to "strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something". So Barnabas strongly encouraged the new believers to remain faithful to the Lord. Likely, he taught them more about Jesus and how to live by the Spirit, and his encouragement served to point them toward the next step in their relationship with Jesus through faith. For us this might be talking to a friend about their faith, what they believe and why they believe it. It might be urging them to trust in God when they're feeling persecuted or down. Or it might be as simple as sharing a Bible verse with someone who just seems a little off. The goal is to lift their spirits and point them to Jesus.

Acts 14:19-23 - "But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed."

    We haven't talked about Paul yet in this post, but I'm sure you know at least a little bit about him. He has written almost half of the New Testament, and he is a major player in the book of Acts. In this passage he and Barnabas are traveling together on their first missionary journey, spreading the gospel to as many cities as they can. Unfortunately, that persecution we were talking about before was still happening, and we see that Paul gets stoned for his preaching. Unlike Stephen, however, he survived the stoning, and we are told that he gets up and goes back into the city.

    If I were to get surrounded by a crowd of people and stoned half to death, I don't think I would have the guts to go back into the same city and keep preaching. If I did, that would have to be the power of God at work within me. And I think that is what Paul had going for him here. The Holy Spirit empowered Paul to keep going.

    Then we are told that he and Barnabas moved on to the next city and continued to preach the gospel, making many disciples, and then returned to the places where people had just tried to stone them to the death. The passage says that they returned, "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith". We know that there was teaching and words being shared here, but I think there is a more important element at play in their encouragement to the disciples. It was their presence and their perseverance in the face of persecution.

    Paul and Barnabas were unphased by the stoning. They didn't let it stop them from spreading the gospel and they didn't let it affect their faith in the Lord. They set an example for the other believers to see and follow. And then they urged them to remain faithful in the Lord, and appointed leaders in the churches to make sure they would have the leadership they needed to persevere in the face of persecution.

    Words and actions can go a long way to encourage someone, but sometimes all you need is to be present with them. When someone is sad, perhaps mourning the loss of a pet or a family member, sitting with them can mean much more than anything you could say or do. Just being there is the encouragement, so they know they are not alone.

    Spoiler alert if you haven't seen "A Bug's Life", but there is a scene toward the end where Flik stands up to Hopper. He gets beaten down and tossed around, but he refuses to back down. He challenges Hopper, and in so doing inspires the other ants to follow his lead. He realizes that together, the ants are actually stronger than the grasshoppers (because of their numbers). In the scene, it's a combination of his words, his actions, and his presence that encourages the other ants.

Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

    Encouragement isn't just for some Christians. Barnabas may have been known for his encouragement, but he was not the only Christian offering encouragement to others. We are all called to be encouragers, and particularly toward each other. With the way our culture is leaning, it is going to become tougher to be a Christian in America than it was even a few years ago. We will face more persecution and more rejection, and that can really take a toll on our faith. Now more than ever we need to encourage each other in the faith, spurring each other on to love and good works.

We can do this through our words, sharing God's Word and what He has done in our lives with others.

We can do this through our actions, stepping in to help when others need it and doing our best to meet the needs of others.

We can do this through our presence, just being there for people when they need support.

You are called to encourage.

So, is there someone in your life right now who needs to make the next step in their faith?

What could you do to meet their needs and move them closer to Jesus?

What Are the Wages of Sin?

    I used to work as a facilities assistant at a bio-analytical company. It sounds fancy, but really I just managed a stockroom of chemical supplies and moved chemicals around. Due to the potentially dangerous nature of the work (some of those chemicals were quite dangerous) I got paid well. At the time I was working part-time there and part-time at the church, but my real passion was the church. So, when they offered to hire me full-time I had to say no. I stayed on as a contract worker for about a year and a half, which meant that I got paid by the hour. If I worked a lot of hours, I got paid a lot, and if I worked only a few hours, I got paid less. If I wanted to get paid, I had to earn it - that's what we call a wage. A wage is a fixed, regular payment that is made to compensate someone for their work.

    The focus of this post is addressing the "wages of sin". Well, we now know what wages are, but what is sin?

    Literally translated, "sin" is "missing the mark". If you think in terms of archery, sin is when I miss the bullseye. I have not hit the mark I was aiming for, so I have sinned. In the Bible, this word is always used to describe disobedience or rebellion against God. You see, God has set the "mark" for us. What we are aiming for is perfection according to His Law and what He says is right. Anytime we miss that mark, anytime we fall short of perfection, we are sinning against God. It is anything we think, say, or do that goes against God.

    Now that we understand these two terms, let's get into the answer for the question. What are the wages of sin?

Paul makes it very clear in the first part of Romans 6:23:

"For the wages of sin is death..."

    When we sin, we earn death. Death is our fixed, regular payment for our sin. Before Adam and Eve had ever sinned, God warned them that this would be the result.

Genesis 2:17 - "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

    He set a simple mark for them - just don't eat the fruit of one particular tree. As we know, they missed that mark. For those of you who know the story, they didn't die immediately - the fruit wasn't poisoned or anything. But because of their sin death entered into the world. Paul explains this very quickly in Romans 5:12:

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..."

    If Adam and Eve had not sinned by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then death would not have entered the world. They would have been able to stay in the Garden of Eden, eaten the fruit of the Tree of Life (which was not off-limits) and lived forever.

But they did sin. And as a result death entered the world and now everyone deserves death.

Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."

    Everyone has earned death for themselves. You, me, our friends, our families, our neighbors, our coworkers (if we have any), everyone. For Adam and Eve, the immediate consequence was separation from God, removal from the Garden of Eden and a loss of access to the Tree of Life. We are currently living in those consequences, with death in our future. What happens when someone dies while separated from God?

    There are several names used in the Bible to describe the destination of sinners: Hell, Hades, Sheol, Gehenna... and according to Revelation all these will eventually be cast into the Lake of Fire (or as Jesus sometimes describes it, the fiery furnace or outer darkness). In His teaching in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives us a consistent picture of what the Lake of Fire will be like for sinners who go there:

Matthew 8:12 - "While the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 13:42 - "And throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 13:50 - "And throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 22:13 - "Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

Matthew 24:51 - "And will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 25:30 - "And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 25:41 - "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'"

Matthew 25:46 - "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

    In each of the passages above, those who are cast out are those who are against God. They are those who do not belong to Jesus, who are disconnected from Him, and who have set themselves up against Him. Those who do not belong to God, who remain separated from Him, are cast out into this place described as an eternal fire or punishment, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

    The idea of weeping seems pretty straightforward. In some translations, the word "wailing" is used. From this we can understand that there will be great and overwhelming sorrow, anguish, despair, and hopelessness.

    "Gnashing of teeth" is a phrase used to show either intense pain, or anger and disrespect, or both. If you imagine being filled with rage at someone, you might grind your teeth together at them. It is an expression of hate, anger, disrespect, and usually results from experiencing great pain.

    When you put these together, you get a picture of desperation, hopelessness, pain, and anger. These are the feelings and experiences that characterize the Lake of Fire. What makes it worse is that it is eternal - it will last forever. There is no end to it. Imagine being constantly overwhelmed by hopelessness, despair, pain and anger forever and not being able to do anything about it. That's Hell. That's the Lake of Fire.

Hell is not some kind of "afterparty" where sinners all gather and continue in their sin. It is a dark place of loneliness, hopelessness, anguish, bitterness, sorrow and anger that lasts forever.

    Because of sin, this is the default destination for everyone. We have all earned death which leads to the Lake of Fire for all eternity. It is where we belong, it is where we deserve to go because we have all rebelled against the one and only Holy God.

BUT - yes, there is a but! Let's read the rest of Romans 6:23:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

    I used to be headed for Hell. That's where I deserved to go. But then I put my faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for me on the cross.

Romans 5:8 - "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

    When Jesus died on the cross over 2,000 years ago, He took on all the sins of the world and paid the penalty for our sin. The death that we earned - He took it on Himself. And He did it out of love for us, so that we could be reunited with God and have life everlasting.

The best part is - IT'S FREE!

    While we earned death, life is a free gift from God through Jesus Christ. We don't deserve it at all, but by His grace He offers it to us freely, should we choose to accept it. When I put my faith in Jesus Christ and accepted this free gift, my sins were forgiven and I was made right with God. He no longer holds my sin against me because the penalty has been paid by Jesus! He turned me around so that I no longer belong in Hell, but rather I am welcomed into His Presence and will spend eternity with Him!

    We know that this hope is real because Jesus didn't stay dead. He did something that we could never have done. He took death in our place on the cross, and then 3 days later He rose from the dead. He demonstrated that He has power even over death, and it is proof that what He did on the cross was sufficient to save us from our sin. This is the God we worship and we will get to raise Him forever!

    Those of us who have believed in Jesus are no longer destined for Hell. We belong to Jesus and we have the hope of of living with Him forever. God saved us.

    But I know that many of your friends, your families, your coworkers, your teachers, and others in your life have not believed in Jesus. They either have not heard or have not accepted God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. That means they are still destined for Hell. They have sinned, and they have earned death.

YOU HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THEY NEED.

    You have the good news they need to hear about Jesus. You know about the free gift that God has offered to all people. Don't leave them on their path to Hell when you have what they need to hear! Go tell them about Jesus!

    When I worked at that bio-analytical company, one of the highlights of the day was when someone brought in donuts or pizza and left it in the breakroom for anyone to come and take. One of my coworkers was always on the lookout for these, and whenever someone would bring something in, he made sure to tell me about it. The free food was there, but if I didn't know about it I couldn't get it. Someone had to tell me.

    God's free gift of salvation is there for everyone. He has commanded those of us who know about it to share the news with others. He has put you where you are so you can tell the people in your life about Jesus. Tell them about this free gift that God has offered them. Let them know about the life they can have with God forever, and don't leave them on their path to Hell. You know what they need, so tell them about it. Get the conversation started. Invite them to church or youth group. Bring a friend with you and start talking about Jesus. You could save their life.

His gift is there for anyone to accept, but someone has to tell them about it. Let that "someone" be you. Amen.

What Does It Mean to "Take Up Your Cross"?

 We had the great fortune of hearing from one of our volunteer leaders for the message last night as we looked at what it means to "take up your cross and follow [Jesus]".

    Before we dive into the passage, let's look at some context. In the chapters leading up to our passage for today, Jesus is seen feeding a crowd of 5,000 men (plus women and children), walking on water, healing a demon-possessed girl, and feeding another crowd of 4,000 men (plus women and children). His disciples are with Him the entire time and witness all of these things firsthand. Each of these miracles by themselves are incredible, and when linked together they are a powerful display of Jesus' authority over creation. This brings us to the first part of our passage:

Matthew 16:13-20 - "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?'

They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'

'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'

Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'

Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah."

    Following those amazing miracles Jesus sits down for a conversation with His disciples and He asks about the rumors that are going around about Him. "What are the people saying about me?" And the disciples tell him - the people recognize that He is someone of great importance, like a prophet of old. The crowds have seen His miracles and they have heard His teachings and they can see that He is someone sent from God. And they are partially right - Jesus was sent by God.

    But then He takes the question and makes it personal: "What about you? You have been with me and heard my teaching and seen my power - who do you say that I am?" After everything they have seen and heard, He wants to know if they understand who He really is yet. And Peter replies, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." "Messiah", also known as the "Christ", means "anointed one". That's right, "Christ" is not Jesus' last name. It is a title. Peter calls Jesus the anointed one from God, the one promised in the Old Testament who would come and bring salvation and liberation to the world. And, even more importantly, Peter calls Him the "Son of the living God." Essentially, Peter calls Jesus God.

    And how does Jesus respond? "You're right." He gives Peter high praise for understanding who Jesus really is, and then blesses him by saying that He will establish the church and give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. A quick side note here: "Peter" means "little rock", and the word used for "rock" when Jesus says "on this rock I will build my church" means more of a "big rock". So He is saying here that Peter will be part of the foundation of the church, but ultimately it will be built on Jesus Himself as the "chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-20).

    This is very high praise for Peter, and he must have felt awesome after hearing it. Unfortunately, that awesome feeling didn't last very long.

Matthew 16:21-23 - "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen to you!'

Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.'"

    He goes from being a part of the foundation of the church and holding the keys of the kingdom of heaven to being called "Satan" (which means "adversary" or "one who resists"). He went from being a key player in the establishment of the church to an adversary of Jesus. Why? Because his mind was set on human concerns rather than Godly concerns.

    We know that Jesus' death and resurrection payed the penalty for our sin and bought us from the power of sin and death into eternal life. If Peter had been right, or had convinced Jesus not to go down that path, then we would not have access to eternal life or a relationship with God. Without Jesus' death and resurrection, the Christian faith would mean nothing. Jesus' concern was for our redemption, even though it meant His death. I think Peter stopped listening after he heard Jesus say He was going to die. "But Jesus, if you die, then how are we going to establish the church? How is this kingdom thing going to work if you're not around?" It was a human concern, thinking only about this life and what was happening here. Jesus warned Peter that his thinking needed to change. He needed to get on board with Jesus' death, or he was only going to be a stumbling block in Jesus' mission.

This brings us to our final piece of the passage:

Matthew 16:24-28 - "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. Truly I tell you, some of you who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.'"

    This is one of Jesus' hardest teachings. What do you think it means to deny yourself? Well, this one is pretty straightforward - rather than go after what we want, we instead go after what Jesus wants. Whatever my heart's desires, wants, or future goals may be, my priority as a disciple of Jesus Christ is to pursue His desires, wants, and future goals, even if it costs me my life. This is where the next part comes in. Today, a "cross" is symbol for the church of what Jesus did for us when He died. It is a symbol of hope for us. But in His day, the cross was a symbol of humiliation, submission, and execution.

    The Romans used crucifixion (death on a cross) as way of executing the worst of criminals in the most painful and humiliating way possible. If you look forward in the gospel of Matthew (27:27-37), you will see that it was normal for the Romans to force the prisoner to carry the beam of wood that would be his cross up to the place of his execution. This was both humiliating for the prisoner as well as a forced symbol of his submission to the Romans. Jesus had been so brutally beaten and tortured before this point, however, that they had to get someone else to carry it for him. This is where we get the phrase "my cross to bear".

    So, when Jesus says that those who want to be His disciples must "take up their cross and follow me", He is saying that those who want to be His disciples will have to bear humiliation and death. In Luke's gospel, he adds that this is something they have to do daily. So every day Christians are called to carry death and humiliation as they follow Jesus.

    If that's the whole sales pitch - "Follow me and die" - which of you is taking Jesus up on His offer? "Follow me to death" is not the end of the discipleship under Jesus, however. This is the cost. This is what it will take to follow Jesus. You have to be willing to give up your own desires and wants, and even your life, to follow Jesus as His disciple. If you are unwilling to give up your life, or as He puts it, "whoever wants to save his life", then you are not fit to be His disciple. That's why this is such a hard teaching.

    Praise be to God that death is not the end! Jesus says, "Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it". The reason why we deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow Jesus is that through Him we have everlasting life and salvation for our souls!

    There have been times where I have gone to a restaurant and think, "oh, that looks really good maybe I'll get that". Then I see the price and think, "Nevermind, that's not worth it". Many people look at what Jesus calls His disciples to do - deny themselves and take up their cross - and they think its not worth it. They have their minds set on earthly things; they want all the things this world has to offer like sex, money, success and power and they want those things more than they want life eternal with God. But Jesus says, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?"

    When we have our minds set on human concerns, like Peter did, we lose sight of what's truly important and what is ultimately going to be for our good. It is absolutely worth it to give up what I want out of this life in order to obtain eternal life with Jesus. The reward is worth the cost.

Some questions for you to think about:

1. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Have you recognized Him, as Peter did, as the anointed Son of God?

2. What desires, wants, or aspirations are you holding onto or refusing to deny? Jesus didn't say "Deny bits and pieces of yourself". He has called you to surrender everything.

3. Are you willing to take up death on a daily basis, offering your very life in submission to Jesus? Paul phrases it like this in Romans 12:1 - "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship". Have you offered your life as a living sacrifice to God? In other words:

Are you living for God or yourself?