A sermon from a couple of weeks back at Henfynyw
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, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord! he said. This shall never happen to you!”
23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For 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 he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
· Some things are difficult to adjust to
o starting a new school/university/job
o the most difficult readjustments are in thinking, dreaming, believing
§ this was the experience for Jesus’ disciples
§ and when Paul wrote to the Romans
· What’s been happening in the Gospel story?
o Jesus has gathered followers around him
o he has performed miracles; preached with power, authority, wisdom
o he has spoken against the religious authorities
o Peter has declared Jesus to be the Messiah
§ a climax of faith in the middle of the Gospel
· The disciples’ thoughts about what lay ahead were running riot
o literally!
o they wanted political and religious rule – by force?
· But Jesus’ plan is very different
o servanthood, humility, sacrifice, obedience, suffering, death
· Peter interjects
o With the same thought/temptation as Jesus faced in the desert
§ Matthew 4:8-10
· Peter, the rock and firm foundation becomes the stumbling block
o and receives the same rebuke as the satan
· So, what about us?
o do we ever put our own expectations on Jesus?
o do we want to put Him in a box and demand that He act and speak in a certain way?
· Such as ‘Gentle Jesus, meek and mild’?
o but what about the political, moral and spiritual revolutionary?
o what of Romans 12 and the upside-down world that God, through Paul, portrays?
· Jesus’ calls us in the same way He was called (vv24-6)
o servanthood
§ of God and one another
o humility
§ to know who we are in Christ
o sacrifice
§ to surrender all that is not of God
o obedience
§ to follow His way
o suffering
§ for His sake
o death
§ to sin and our selfish desires
o resurrection, life, hope, future, holiness
· Is this what we imagined/imagine the Christian life to be?
o becoming Christ-like can involve a big surprise
o what would it mean to follow this call today, tomorrow?
