Mateus 16
Kent Hughes · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 16
Hughes - This call to a crucified life demands a willingness to pour out one's life for Christ. The biography The Shadow of the Almighty records a beautiful prayer uttered by Jim Elliot: Father, take my life, yea, my blood if Thou wilt, and consume it with Thine enveloping fire. I would not save it, for it is not mine to save. Have it, Lord, have it all. Pour out my life as an oblation for the world. Blood is only of value as it flows before Thine altar. Young Jim Elliot went on to willingly shoulder his cross in missionary service, literally sealing it with his own blood at the hands of primitive spearmen deep in the jungles of Ecuador. (Preaching the Word – Luke, Volume I: That You May Know the Truth) Robert Morgan on Luke 9:23-26 - God uses temptation to cultivate obedience. Look at Luke 9:23-26: In other words, if we’re Christ’s disciples, we’re going to be in hostile territory and we’re going to have to make hard moral decisions every day. The world will try to tempt us. The world will try to intimidate us. The world will try to make us ashamed of being Christians. But Jesus can use that temptation to cultivate obedience in our lives. I think one of the best things that I read in the purpose-driven materials we’ve been going through is this paragraph. I want to read it to you, because it is so well-stated: “Temptation always tests whether you love God more than the temptation. Let me give you a tip about temptation. When you’re tempted, don’t resist it. Because as you’re resisting it, guess what you’re doing? You’re just thinking about the temptation! You’re getting into a spiritual tug-of-war with Satan, and he always wins. You don’t resist it, you just drop the rope and walk a different direction and you think about something different. This is a verse that I’ve used literally hundreds and hundreds of times in my life [Philippians 4:8: “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”] When I’m tempted it’s my favorite verse to use to turn my thoughts from what’s wrong to what’s right, so I’ve memorized it very well, because I have been tempted a lot. If you’ll take a verse like this and let it turn your mind from what’s wrong to what’s right, you’ll find the temptation starts to drop away.” ILLUSTRATION Missionary Amy Carmichael worked with children in India, and one day she took them on a field trip to see a goldsmith refine his gold after the ancient manner of the East. He was sitting beside a little charcoal fire, and in the fire was a little curved roofing tile. Another tile covered it as a lid. This was the crucible. The goldsmith had concocted a solution, put it in the tile crucible, placed the lump of gold in the solution, and put the whole thing in the fire. As the fire did its work, the impurities in the gold began to leak into the solution and the gold become more pure. The goldsmith would occasionally take the gold out of the crucible with a pair of tongs, let it cool, and rub it between his fingers. Then he put it back into fresh solution in the tile and heated it up again. Every time this happened, the goldsmith blew the fire hotter than before. Looking up at the children, the goldsmith said, “The gold could not bear the fire this hot to begin with; it would have destroyed it. But now it helps it.” One of the children asked, “How do you know when the gold is purified?” Here was the man’s answer: “When I can see my face in it (the liquid gold in the crucible) then it is pure.” Of course, Amy Carmichael couldn’t miss the lesson for her own life. When our Great Refiner sees in us His own image, He has brought us to maturity and wholeness. He uses truth to cultivate wisdom; trials to cultivate faith; tasks to cultivate faithfulness, and temptation to cultivate obedience until He can see His face to us and we have grown into the image of Christ. Is that process happening in your life? Fanny Crosby put it: O to be more like Jesus, Earnest when ’ere I pray, Into His perfect likeness Growing from day to day. Oh, that we might all be growing into the image of Christ, growing up into Him in all things, letting Christ be formed in us. And then one day all shall be fulfilled. As the old apostle John told us in the third chapter of his first epistle: Beloved, we are now children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Sermon Starters - John Butler - Three Distasteful Requirements Matthew 16:24 "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). Christ never watered down the requirement of being His disciple, or of serving Him. In fact, He seemed to emphasize the hardships more than than the rewards. Today, we do just the opposite. We tell people about the peaches and cream but seldom about the thistles and thorns. We talk much about the resurrection to a new life but little about the scorn and suffering on the cross which preceded the resurrection. We speak more of the glory than of the qualifying groaning. Christ mentioned three aspects of service, of being a good disciple, and none of the three are popular in our day. FIRST—THE DENYING "Deny himself." If you are going to do any kind of worthy service for the Lord, it will involve denial of self. This is where many quickly drop out. They cannot deny themselves for spiritual matters. They will deny themselves for sports or business or their work but not for spiritual matters. They do not want to sacrifice or go without in order to serve Christ. Try enlisting these folk in service at church, and they will refuse because it might inconvenience them or cause them to have to sacrifice some time and energy which they would rather give to carnal pursuits. To hear these folk talk, it seems almost a crime to have to deny oneself of some legitimate pleasure in order to do some work at church. But self-denial is essential if you would serve Christ. SECOND—THE DUTY "Take up his cross." We like taking up our crowns but not the cross. The cross was the main work of Christ. He came to earth primarily to on the cross for our sins. If we would serve Him, it will mean a cross of some sort. A cross involves, suffering, pain scorn, blood, sweat and tears. Many like to be in God's army when it involves a parade, recognitions, and medals, but not when it involves bullets and guns and danger. We like the game and its cheering spectators but not practice and its sweat and strain. But when the cross is involved, many will be draft dodgers and look for exemption excuses. THIRD—THE DEVOTION "Follow me." This speaks of devotion to Jesus Christ. "Follow" means obedience, faithfulness, and fellowship. Few people are interested in any of these things especially if it involves Jesus Christ. If you would be a good servant of Jesus Christ you must be devoted to Him. Paul was for He said, "For me to live is Christ." (Philippians 1:21). Christ must be number one in your life. There is nothing between "Follow" and "me." You must not let anything come between you and Jesus Christ. If your devotion to Christ is lacking, your service will be lacking also. The church at Ephesus was rebuked because "thou hast left thy first love." (Revelation 2:4). Their affection for Christ had diminished and it would soon destroy their testimony. (John Butler) A FIGHT, NOT A FROLIC If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24. Today we are beset by easy ways to do everything: playing the piano becomes a game, mathematics is fun, you can learn without work, become a master of anything without drudgery, become an instant artist, a virtuoso overnight. But our Lord did not call us to a sanctified picnic and a glorified hayride. We do not become saints in our sleep. The old masters of the deeper life found the way straight and narrow with a cross now and a crown hereafter. In position, one becomes a saint instantly, but in condition the being is followed by the becoming and that is not fun. The Cross of Self-Denial "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."—Matt. 16:24 A european was once taken prisoner in a Mahometan land. During his captivity he amused himself by sketching. His enemies saw his handiwork. As they gazed at his skilful and curious productions, it struck them that they might turn his talent to profitable account. He was promised his liberty, on condition that he would design a new mosque. He agreed to the proposal. An elegant and substantial building was planned. At first it pleased them, and the hour of his emancipation seemed near. Some keen eye, however, made a discovery. It was found that the mosque was drawn in the shape of a cross. Disappointed and angry, they put the architect to death. Thus do some reject the gospel. They are well pleased with the plan of salvation, until they discern in it the cross of self-denial. The First "Prospect"—Yourself! If my people... shall humble themselves... 2 Chronicles 7:14. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23. The churches of Macedonia... first gave their own selves to the Lord. II Corinthians 8:1, 5. Dr. Torrey's first rule for revival was, "Let a few members of any church get thoroughly right with God themselves." Then they might go after others, but not until then. In their zeal for new members too many churches urge old members into visiting and canvassing "prospects," when first they need to get right with God themselves. We have no business going out to win others until we have faced our own condition first. Such activity may keep us from first giving ourselves to God. We may become occupied with others and thus dodge our own need. When Christians are right with God they will win others. Our revivals are stressing an "ingathering" of others, when God wants us to humble ourselves, deny ourselves, give ourselves. A drive for "prospects" before we do that is no revival at all. "ME FIRST!" If any man will come after me, let him deny himself Matt 16:24 The three men described by Luke in chapter 9, who showed an interest in following the Savior, never really did so because of "I" trouble. In Lu 9:59 we hear Jesus saying to one of them, "Follow Me." But notice the man's answer: "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." In Lu 9:61 another said, "I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, who are at home at my house." And in Lu 9:57 we see that the other individual must also have had "me first" trouble, since, when faced with the discomforts of the "Jesus way" and the self-sacrifice required of those who would follow after Him, he suddenly lost all interest. After Jesus' words to him, this one just seems to disappear from the scene. Yes, all three men in Luke 9 had "I" trouble. Confronted with the challenge of serving Christ and the demands He placed upon them, it was their "me first" attitude which robbed them of the joys and rewards of disciple-ship. We don't have to go back into ancient history to find "me firsters." One of the greatest drawbacks to the spread of the Gospel today is that large number of believers who put them-selves first and Christ last. For some, the idea of serving Christ is frightening, the inconvenience involved is repelling, and the "offense of the cross" embarrassing. There seem to be many who are willing to come to Christ for salvation, for that costs them nothing as Jesus has paid the complete price of redemption. Few, however, are ready to follow after Christ, simply because this involves self-sacrifice and saying no to selfish desires. Discipleship is not for the "me firsters." When called upon for service — whether it be on the mission field, in the pulpit, or just to minister to our next door neighbor—may we never be guilty of saying "me first." Christ must always have "first place" in our lives! "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt. 16:25). The first lesson in the school of Christ is that of SELF-denial! Acts 20:22-35 Tough Or Easy? By Dave Branon . . . nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy. —Acts 20:24 The Christian life—is it tough or easy? Which is it supposed to be? Does our faith in Jesus Christ cause us difficulty, hardship, suffering, and loss? Or does it pave for us an easy road to heaven? These aren’t easy questions. But if we look at some of the people in the Bible—the ones we admire and respect for their obvious faithfulness to the Lord—we see that they didn’t have a life of ease. Paul, for example, faced difficulties that would make most of us wonder where God is: shipwrecks, imprisonments, beatings, and other kinds of abuse (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). It seems he was better off before he started following Jesus. In his book Amusing Ourselves To Death, social critic Neil Postman wrote, “Christianity is a serious and demanding religion. When it is delivered as easy and amusing, it is another kind of religion altogether.” He’s right. Jesus Himself said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). That’s a clear call for self-denial. Paul was given a task, and he did it wholeheartedly for God’s glory, no matter what the cost (Acts 20:24). Are we willing to do what God has called us to do with the same dedication, whether it is easy or tough? —JDB I do not ask for easy paths Along life's winding roads, But for the promised grace and strength To carry all its loads. —Meadows Following Jesus is always right—but seldom easy You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3 The knights in King Arthur's court had to be men of valor. Any soldier returning from battle without a wound heard this stem order: "Go get your scar!" The monarch expected his men to be so committed to him and his cause that they would willingly throw themselves into the thick of the conflict—risking injury or death. Only the brave met with his approval. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). This means we willingly obey Christ, disregarding our own desires and comforts. It means accepting ridicule, rejection, and even physical persecution. But Jesus takes note of it all. Peter said, "But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy" (1 Pet. 4:13). We will not have physical scars when we stand before Jesus someday But everyone who has suffered in serving Him will be richly rewarded. —R.W.D. No SACRIFICE WE MAKE IS TOO GREAT FOR THE ONE WHO SACRIFICED HIS ALL. DON'T MAKE IT TOO EASY If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24. Some make the Christian life too easy. To them, casting their care on the Lord means dismissing and disregarding serious responsibilities under the pretense of trust. Our Lord made discipleship hard and lost many prospective followers because He called them to a pilgrimage—not a parade, to a fight—not to a frolic. We are to endure hardness, overcome the world, and not merely endure it. We must strive to enter in at the strait gate, and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Few there be who travel the narrow way and those who do will often be the objects of scorn. There is Scripture on both sides, making it too hard and making it too easy. A proper view of both will make for balanced living. The Saviour gives us the perfect example. A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, He offered joy and peace. Discipleship Matthew 16:24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me" Would you be a follower of Jesus Christ? Our text gives the basic price and qualifications for following Christ. Christ never watered down the requirements of discipleship. Rather, He seemed to do just the opposite. He wanted no 'band-wagon' disciples. We, on the other hand, talk mostly of the rewards and do not tell about the hardship responsibilities of discipleship. This results in many spiritual dropouts. Our text mentions three basic requirements to be a follower of Christ, to be a disciple of Christ and a servant of Christ. And all three requirements will be very hard on the flesh. FIRST—THE SELFLESSNESS IN THE REQUIREMENT "Let him deny himself." The first requirement hits us where it hurts, for we do not like to deny ourself of anything. But to follow Christ and to serve Christ requires that we deny self and therefore submit wholly to the Lord's wishes. This is where many folk drop out. They do not want to deny themselves anything for spiritual matters. Try enlisting these folk in service at church, and they will refuse because it might inconvenience them or cause them to have to deny themselves of some TV program. To hear these folk talk, it seems almost a crime to have to deny oneself of some legitimate pleasure in order to do some work at church. But if you would follow the Lord and serve Him it is essential to deny self. SECOND—THE SUFFERING IN THE REQUIREMENT "Take up his cross." The cross is our work, our task our job that the Lord gives those who would follow Him. The cross speaks of great suffering, mocking, blood, tears, and sweat. The cross is not peaches and cream, but it involves much suffering. This is something few of God's people care to do. If suffering is involved, they opt out of the duty. Christ came to earth primarily to die on the cross of Calvary. It was a very painful experience. He suffered much slander, beatings, injustice, blood and cruelty but He did not dodge the cross because of the suffering. He went to the cross in submission to God's will. If you would be a follower of Jesus Christ and serve Him faithfully, you will become acquainted with the cross in all of which it speaks. THIRD—THE SAVIOR IN THE REQUIREMENTS "Follow me." There is nothing between follow and me. This means we are to be close to Jesus and devoted to Him. To follow Christ faithfully you must submit to His will. The Apostle Paul determined to follow the Lord and so said, "For me to live is Christ." (Philippians 1:21). If you do not follow the Lord you are not devoted to Him and will not be His disciple. The price of being a disciple and a servant of the Lord is high. "Follow" covers all the cost. It covers the deny part and the cross part. Matthew 16:25 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Mt 10:39 Es 4:14,16 Mk 8:35 Lu 17:33 Joh 12:25 Ac 20:23,24 Rev 12:11 Matthew 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Mark 8:35+ “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. Luke 9:24+ “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. Luke 17:33+ “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. John 12:24-25 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. DO YOU WISH TO FOLLOW JESUS? Adrian Rogers - When I was a child, we used to play a little game called "Finders, Keepers, Losers, Weepers." But our Lord is saying, "Losers, Finders, Keeper's, Weepers." For - Term of explanation. The previous charge was a strong message, a "hard saying", but now Jesus explains why it was so firm. Jesus is explaining why He placed supreme value on obedience to His commands to deny self, take up your cross and follow Him. In comparison everything else was of minimal significance when viewed from an eternal perspective. Lose some of your "self rights" temporally now (which is the behavior a believer would practice, and being enabled to do so ONLY by the supernatural enabling power of the Holy Spirit) or lose your soul eternally forever. Broadus points out "the repeated for (Mt 16:25, 26, 27), each sentence supplying that which precedes with a proof or a motive. In Mt 16:25 our Lord passes from bodily to spiritual life, from temporal to eternal life. There is a similar transition in ‘leave the dead to bury their own dead,’ 8:22; comp. John 4:10; 6:27. He also passes in v. 25 f., from the vital principle of the body to the immortal principle. Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it - Wishes (thelo) speaks of an exercise of the will from a motive of desire (and so to wish). The present tense describes this as this person's lifestyle. This is what they live for so to speak. They live to save their life! They treasure the temporary and lose the eternal. Wishes is in the active voice which signifies that this person makes a choice of their will to reject Jesus' call to discipleship -- he is not forced to reject it! Broadus - Whosoever wishes to save his bodily, temporal life shall lose his spiritual, eternal life. NET Note - The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life. Save (4982) (sozo) has the basic meaning of rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect, keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole. They fight in vain to keep their life (and all it's "goodies"), and to fill the "God shaped" hole in their soul whole by filling their life with pursuits and pleasures of this world which is passing away and even its lusts (1 John 2:17+). Life (soul)(5590)(psuche from psucho = to breathe, blow, English = psychology, "study of the soul") is the breath, then that which breathes, the individual, animated creature. It means the whole person (cf. James 1:21; 5:20). Lose (622)(apollumi from apo = away from or wholly + olethros = state of utter ruin <> ollumi = to destroy) means to destroy utterly but not to caused to cease to exist. The ultimate idea is to lose all worth to accomplish anything of eternal value. It describes that which is ruined and is no longer usable for its intended purpose. Uses in Matthew - Matt. 2:13; Matt. 5:29; Matt. 8:25; Matt. 9:17; Matt. 10:6; Matt. 10:28; Matt. 10:39; Matt. 10:42; Matt. 12:14; Matt. 15:24; Matt. 16:25; Matt. 18:11; Matt. 18:14; Matt. 21:41; Matt. 22:7; Matt. 26:52; Matt. 27:20 The point Jesus is making is if one lives merely for this temporal life, their future life will be lost forever! THOUGHT - Jesus is not saying works by us (self-effort) can save. In fact seeking to save yourself by good deeds will result in eternal loss of your soul! So what does Jesus mean? The only person who would willingly lose his life for Jesus is a person who has been born again by the Spirit of Jesus. He then has the indwelling Spirit of Jesus Who gives him supernatural desire to die to self and his innate selfishness (e.g., by serving others, giving to others, spending time with Jesus in His Word and prayer, etc). No man would die to self by himself! In other words the natural tendency of our flesh is to survive and to pamper self. But in our day to day life we encounter many opportunities to die to self interests (enabled by the Spirit) and to put the interests of God and others before our interests. This is absolute antithesis of the way the world works! The world's motto is "Look out for number one!" Jesus' motto is deny number one! And dying to self and living to God is the only way to a truly happy and fulfilling life in this world and the world to come. Selfless investment in time will yield priceless returns in eternity (cf Lk 19:11-27; Mt. 6:19-21; 19:27-30). Father, let it be so for all who read these words, that enabled by Thy Spirit, we would daily supernaturally seek to die to self (and selfishness) and live for Christ, for His Kingdom and His glory (and Thy Glory), in His Name. Amen
Mateus 16
Hughes - Preaching the Word - Mark, Volume I: Jesus, Servant and Savior) “What can a man give in exchange for his life?” (Mk 8:37) The answer is nothing. On April 17, 1998, Linda McCartney, wife of Paul McCartney of the Beatles, died. Newsweek concluded its article on her death by saying, “The McCartney’s had all the money in the world.... Enough to afford their privacy. Enough to give them a beautiful view. But all the money in the world wasn’t enough to keep her alive” (Giles, “Lady McCartney,” 64). ILLUSTRATIONS OF INVESTING ONE'S LIFE (from SERMON by Steven Cole) The famous evangelist George Whitefield once told of seeing some criminals riding in a cart on their way to the gallows. They were arguing about who should sit on the right hand of the cart with no more concern than children who are going somewhere with their parents. It seems absurd that men who are about to die would be arguing about who gets the best seat in the cart! Yet isn’t that an indictment of us all? We’re all about to die! This life is so fleeting and uncertain. Eternity is ahead. Yet we devote ourselves to gaining position and possessions in this world, with no thought of the world to come! The irony of Jesus’ perceptive statement is magnified by the fact that few of us ever come close to gaining the whole world. But even if we could do it, Jesus says, what good is it if we forfeit our own soul? Alexander the Great conquered vast territories and even ordered that he be worshiped as god, but he caught a fever and died at age 33. What good did his conquests do him in light of eternity? Just over 50 years ago, Adolf Hitler tried to conquer the world, but he ended up committing suicide when his plans failed. Some business tycoons, like Ted Turner, reject God and commit themselves to amassing a fortune. He owns more land than almost any other human being. But he soon will die and face God’s judgment with nothing to cover his sin. How much wiser was Jim Elliot, who was killed at 28 trying to take the gospel to the fierce Auca tribe in Ecuador. At age 22 he had written in his journal, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” (Shadow of the Almighty [Zondervan], p. 15). Two years earlier he had prayed, “Lord make my way prosperous, not that I achieve high station, but that my life may be an exhibit to the value of knowing God” (ibid., p. 13). The Christian life must be lived daily by keeping in view the shortness of this life and the insignificance of the things of this world in light of eternity. When he was just 19, Jonathan Edwards wrote down 34 resolutions that he committed himself to practice for God’s glory. Number 9 was, “To think much, on all occasions, of my dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death” (The Works of Jonathan Edwards [Banner of Truth], 1:xx). That may strike you as a bit morbid for a young man, but Edwards was seeking to live in the light of eternity. A few months later he wrote, “I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, That I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age” (ibid., 1:xxii). To apply this, think about being at the end of your life. None of us knows how long we’ll live, but assume that the Lord gives you 80 years. In light of eternity, what would you want to accomplish as you look back on your life from that point? In light of this, write out a purpose statement that sums up what you want God to do through you in the years He gives you. Then write out some specific goals for the coming year in light of that overall purpose. Then, whether you live to be 80 or 40, you won’t spend your time trying to gain the world while losing your soul..... ILLUSTRATION In 1777, Dr. William Dodd, a well-known London clergyman, was condemned to be hanged for forgery (the penalties were a bit more severe back then!). When his last sermon, delivered in prison, was published, a friend commented to Samuel Johnson that the effort was far better than he had thought the man capable of. Dr. Johnson’s classic reply was, “Depend upon it, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” If we would keep in mind that life is very short and that eternity is just ahead, it would concentrate our minds wonderfully! Even though it is difficult and painful, we would daily put self on the cross and follow Jesus because we will soon stand before Him on judgment day. Instead of getting caught up with the things of this world, we would live in view of the world to come. The reality of eternity is the motivation for living obediently now, even though it means a slow, painful death to self. An Italian legend tells about a man who had a servant who was rather stupid. One day the master became exasperated and told the servant, “You’re the stupidest fellow I’ve ever known. I want you to take this staff and carry it with you. If you ever meet a man who is more stupid than you are, give him the staff.” The servant took the staff. He met some pretty dumb men, but he wasn’t sure if they were dumber than he was, so he never gave away the staff. Then one day he was called back to the castle. He was ushered into the master’s bedroom, where the master was on his deathbed. He told the servant, “I’m going on a long journey.” The servant asked, “When will you be back?” The master replied that he would not return. The servant asked, “Well, sir, have you got everything prepared for your journey?” The master said, “No, I’ve not really made much preparation for it.” The servant asked, “Could you have made preparation? Could you have sent something on?” The master said, “Yes, I guess I had a lifetime to do that, but I was just busy about other things.” The servant went on, “Then you won’t be back to the castle, to the lands, to the animals?” The master said he wouldn’t be back. The legend says that the servant took the staff which he had carried for all those years and said to the master, “Here, you take the staff. I finally met a man who was more stupid than myself.” We’re all going to take that journey. Jesus tells us how to prepare. Trust Him as Savior and follow Him as Lord, denying self even when it’s hard. One day you will see Him smile and say, “Well done!” Then it will be worth it all! (from SERMON by Steven Cole) Russell Spray - YOU WIN BY LOSING Text: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matt. 16:25). I. Find Faith—Lose Doubts “If ye have faith, and doubt not, … it shall be done” (Matt. 21:21). A. Some people are doubters. They doubt God’s Word, His creation, His salvation, and even God Himself. Doubters never win. B. We should not be naive, nor should we mistrust everyone. Suspicion and doubt are self-destructive. C. We must have faith—faith banishes doubt. Faith pleases God and enables us to win others. D. We win by losing our doubt. Faith brings the victory (1 John 5:4). II. Find Hope—Lose Despair “Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him …” (Ps. 42:5). A. Many people are in despair. They have lost hope. Uncertain riches and sinful pleasures fail to satisfy. B. We must hope in God. Helping the needy, comforting the discouraged, and sharing Christ with others helps us lose despair. C. We win by losing despair. Hope in God brings the joy of salvation and the assurance of everlasting life (Ps. 51:12). III. Find Love—Lose Discord “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4:21). A. Christians often live in discord. They hold resentment and hostility toward others. Their witness is ineffective. B. Love makes the difference. When we are totally committed to God, the Holy Spirit cleanses and fills us with His love. C. Love is a built-in psychological need. Everyone needs to love and be loved; therefore, we should reach out in love to work, witness, and win. D. We can win by losing. Lose the worst—hatred, misery, strife (Gal. 5:19–21)—and win the best—love, joy, and peace (Gal. 5:22–23). James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose - SAVING BY LOSING “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life, for My sake, shall find it” (Matt. 16:25). In other words, if we are to save either soul or life we must lose them. What, save my life by losing it! This does, indeed sound strange! Who would have thought this? Every one of the evangelists record this utterance, and this is both a proof of its importance and of the effect it had upon them. Verily, God’s way of salvation is altogether different to man’s. Here a great principle is enunciated: What I keep I lose; what I lose I retain. “But how can this be?” you exclaim. We would like to associate John 12:24 with this Scripture: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Here is a farmer who has a good store of precious grain. He desires to save it, but in order to save it he must lose it. What the farmer sows he keeps; what he keeps in his barn deteriorates by keeping, or is eaten by vermin. If a corn of wheat be not cast into the ground it will for a time abide alone, and then presently cease to exist. The only way of saving the corn of wheat is by losing it. As in the vegetable world, so in the moral and spiritual world. In Luke 17:33 our Lord applies this principle to the subject of our salvation, and in Matt. 10:39 to the subject of Christian service. I. To Save my Soul I Must Lose It. No one seems to know where the word “soul” came from. Some think it to be an Icelandic word for the sea, meaning that, like the sea, it is mighty, mysterious, unfathomable, and perhaps, billowy. Others say it is from the verb “to see,” suggesting that it is the part of our being that thinks, reasons, loves. The soul is that immortal and eternal part of my being; it is “my think;” it is myself. In the old days of the pirates, when pursued by those sea-pests, to save gold, silver, and valuables, the captain and passengers threw them overboard, where they would be able to find them again; they lost them in order to save them. In times of danger, precious treasures are deposited in banks, and diamonds in transit are put into the captain’s care for safety; lost, in order to be saved. Friend, have you yet discovered that you possess a Jewel of immense value? That jewel is your soul. Many treat their souls as the people of the transvaal formerly treated diamonds, when, not knowing their value, they gave them to their children to play with, and even built them into the mud walls of their farmsteads. The soul is a precious jewel, indeed, and for safety must be lost in God. As the farmer, in order to save his corn, commits it to the keeping of God by placing it in the earth, so we, in order to save our souls, must in the words of Peter, “Commit the keeping of their souls to Him as unto a faithful Creator.” Of course we commit our souls to God, not to be lost in Him in the sense that the Buddhists and Pantheists believe, viz., to be entirely absorbed in Deity, for we ever retain our personality and identity. Many things lost are never found; not so with our souls. But they are not found as they were lost. The lost seed is found in a glorious harvest. This is also true in respect to our bodies. If the Lord tarries, we may have to lose them in the grave, but on the Resurrection morn we shall have a glorious find (see 1 Cor. 15:42–44). But quite as great a change now takes place in the soul hidden in God. Pearls, when they have lost their lustre, regain their brilliancy by being buried in the sea. When we are hidden in God, the lustre of whiteness and purity is regained, by His grace. II. To Save my Life I Must Lose It. There is the dread possibility of a saved soul and a lost life. That was the case with the dying thief—his soul was saved, but his life had been wasted in the service of sin, and was therefore irretrievably lost. What a grand thing it is for young lives to surrender to the Lord Jesus, and to be lived in His blessed service for His glory! Yet many who turn to the Lord in their youth lose their lives because that, though their souls are saved, their lives have not been fully yielded up to God. Do you know the difference between a piece of coal and a costly diamond? The latter receives the light and then gives it forth, whereas the former takes in and absorbs all the light, and gives none. Our Lord said that John was a “burning and a shining light.” We cannot shine without burning, that is, without losing. Samson’s wife, in order to save herself and family from burning, betrayed her husband, but the very evil she wished to avoid overtook her. And so, in His application of this principle to service, the Lord, in effect says: “If to follow Me seems to you, as it is, very dangerous, and you decide in order to save your life, not to deny self and take up the Cross and follow Me, the very evil you wish to avoid will overtake you.” Willing To Jump Whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. —Luke 9:24 Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin spoke of communists as “dead men on furlough.” Those dedicated followers of the atheistic philosophy were willing to die for the cause, and each new day was simply a reprieve. If people were willing to risk everything for a cause based on a lie, how much more should we who know Christ be willing to do so for the truth! Jesus told those who wanted to be His disciples that they had to be willing to follow Him to death. It was to be a commitment of their entire life, no matter what the cost. In his book One Crowded Hour, Tim Bowden describes an incident in Borneo in 1964. Nepalese fighters known as Gurkhas were asked if they would be willing to jump from airplanes into combat against the Indonesians. The Gurkhas didn’t clearly understand what was involved, but they bravely said they would do it, asking only that the plane fly slowly over a swampy area and no higher than 100 feet. When they were told that the parachutes would not have time to open at that height, the Gurkhas replied, “Oh, you didn’t mention parachutes before!” Halfhearted! Master, shall any who know Thee Grudge Thee their lives, who hast laid down Thine own? Nay! We would offer the hearts that we owe Thee, Live for Thy love and Thy glory alone. —Havergal We may not walk to the martyr’s stake, but we must walk in the Master’s steps. A Life That Satisfies Whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. —Mark 8:35 In his book Facing Loneliness, J. Oswald Sanders writes, “The round of pleasure or the amassing of wealth are but vain attempts to escape from the persistent ache. . . . The millionaire is usually a lonely man, and the comedian is often more unhappy than his audience.” Sanders goes on to emphasize that being successful often fails to produce satisfaction. Then he refers to Henry Martyn, a distinguished scholar, as an example of what he is talking about. Martyn, a Cambridge University student, was honored at only 20 years of age for his achievements in mathematics. In fact, he was given the highest recognition possible in that field. And yet he felt an emptiness inside. He said that instead of finding fulfillment in his achievements, he had “only grasped a shadow.” After evaluating his life’s goals, Martyn sailed to India as a missionary at the age of 24. When he arrived, he prayed, “Lord, let me burn out for You.” In the next 7 years that preceded his death, he translated the New Testament into three difficult Eastern languages. These notable achievements were certainly not passing “shadows.” If we commit ourselves to Christ And follow in His way, He’ll give us life that satisfies With purpose for each day. —Sper A fulfilled life is a life full of love for the Lord and others. Risky Business Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. —Luke 9:24 As the worldwide financial crisis deepened in 2010, executives of a global banking firm were investigated for deceiving their customers about the risk involved in certain investments they were selling. While promising a high rate of return, the banking firm knew that the investments were destined to fail, leaving those who purchased them with nothing. Deception is nothing new. Jesus described Satan as one who “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him . . . for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). The enemy of our souls tells us, “Live only for the present,” when he knows it will result in our eternal loss. Jesus, on the other hand, did not offer His disciples a life of prosperity and ease but called them to self-sacrifice and identification with Him. After telling them that He would be killed and raised from the dead, Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24). When you hear the Shepherd’s voice As He calls you, “Come to Me,” In your life make Him your choice And His faithful follower be. —Hess If we hold on to God’s truth, we won’t be trapped by Satan’s lies. Matthew 16:26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? what is: Mt 5:29 Job 2:4 Mk 8:36 Lu 9:25 gain: Mt 4:8,9 Job 27:8 Lu 12:20 16:25 or: Ps 49:7,8 Mk 8:37 Matthew 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Mark 8:36-37+ “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Luke 9:25+ . “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? Luke 12:19; 20+ ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ Luke 16:19-23+ “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20“And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22“Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23“In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. THE VANITY OF WORLDLY WEALTH For (gar) - Term of explanation - Jesus continues to explain the value of His command to follow Him (discipleship) by explaining the priceless value of losing one's life versus the incredible loss of trying to save it. If our goal is to gain the whole world, we are clearly not going to be individuals who deny our selfish desires and take up our cross because the cross speaks of death to self and those selfish desires (which we all have because we all have the fallen flesh we must battle daily, a battle Jesus called for in Lk 9:23+). Hiebert adds that for "elucidates by contrasting the higher life with the world, all that it stands for as estranged from God."