Sermon Tone Analysis

*Perseverance; Sanctification*

*/Take It To The Lord In Prayer!/*

*/Gospel Reading /Mark 8:31-38*

Vicar Brian Henderson

*Grace, Mercy and Peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

[Amen.]*

*Introduction:  *I remember my first time on a “big kids” ride.

It was at the Wisconsin State Fair, on a warm August evening.

I was eight, and it was my birthday.

I sat in my Father’s arms as we entered the ominous “Tilt-a-Whirl.”

It was a ride that flipped, tilted and whirled as its occupants went around in a circular wheel that reached some 100 feet into the air.

I was afraid, but my Dad assured me that I would be safe in his arms.

My mother told me that I should pray if I became frightened.

As the ride began, I became terrified and began to scream to my Father, begging him to stop the ride; I wasn’t such a big boy after all!

But he told me, “I can’t do that son.

You will just have to trust me and hold on to me tight.”

And I did.

I immediately felt the comfort of his big strong arm wrap around me, and that made me feel better.

But each time the ride would complete a revolution, it would do something new.

First it tilted; and then it whirled.

Each time I moved closer to my Dad and he renewed his grip.

Then on the last spin around, it went into something my Father called the “grand finale.”

It did all of its movements at once.

I began to scream at the top of my lungs.

And then I remembered my mothers advice, “If you become afraid, just pray.”

So I began the only prayer that boys at that age can remember, “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep; if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take!”  My father, having heard what prayer I was reciting began to laugh one of the most happy laughs I had ever heard come out of him.

Before I knew it, I forgot about my fear and I was laughing right along with him!

As the ride stopped, we both were laughing so hard, my side hurt.

As we stepped out of the ride, I looked ant my father and said, “CAN WE DO IT AGAIN!”

That ride, long ago on a warm Wisconsin evening, happens to be one of my happiest childhood memories!

And it was from that ride that I learned that the fear of something never negates the benefit of the experience.

\\ \\

*I.*    Please take out your Bibles, or your bulletin and turn to our Gospel lesson this morning, Mark 8, starting in the 31st verse.

Our Gospel begins right after Peter’s wonderful faith-filled declaration about who He said Jesus was.

“You are the Christ, the Messiah!”   Peter’s answer was in response to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”   Jesus then warned the disciple that they must not yet reveal this truth to others, until it was the right time.

He began teaching them, and in doing so he revealed a truth that would literally ROCK THEIR WORLD!: /He was to be a suffering Messiah/.

*And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

And he said this plainly.*

(Mark 8:31-32a)

Now the Apostles were at the point in their training where Jesus could no longer conceal His true mission.

He laid it all out for them, a detailed plan up until the bitter end.

He intimately described his future painful sufferings.

His specific mention of "the elders, chief priests and scribes" was a clear reference to the three groups in the Jewish Religious Court called the Sanhedrin.

These men would later officially examine him, and would reject him like a counterfeit hundred dollar bill.

Even his resurrection was mentioned, though it would remain incomprehensible to the disciples until after the glorious fact.

What a ridiculous revelation it was to them at the time!

To speak truthfully, they were disgusted, confused and disappointed, but they all kept their silence—all except one: "Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him"  (Mark 8:32b).

The language here suggests that Peter did this with an air of protective superiority, almost like a father putting his arm around his son and whispering, "Come here, Jesus.

Now certainly I believe that you are the Messiah, but you’re not thinking clearly!

If you don’t stop talking like this, you will lose all of your credibility."

Now it was the Savior who was disgusted and disappointed!

As Jesus spun around to face Peter, he saw that the rest of His disciples appeared to be approving of what Peter was saying.

His powerful scolding was for all of them as well.

"Out of my sight, Satan! . . .

You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men" (Mark 8:33).

These were the harshest words that Jesus ever spoke to a devoted, well-meaning heart!

He did not even speak to Judas this way!

Why?

The answer is that Peter had unknowingly become the ambassador of Satan, declaring a demonic doctrine known as the Theology of Glory.

It is the very same doctrine that Satan used to tempt Jesus during his 40 days of testing and tempting in the desert.

It was here that the devil tempted Jesus to accept an easy Saviorhood, one that would make him “feel good” about his ministry.

"Command these stones to become loaves!" - "Throw yourself down from the temple so the angels can lift you up on their wings!" - "Fall down and worship me, and all the kingdoms of the world and their glory shall be yours."

In other words, Satan was saying: "Look what's in it for You."

And now - as our Lord's cross and suffering were drawing closer – Satan’s temptation was once again echoed in Peter's words.

"You don't have to suffer," he told Him. "Messiahs don't suffer!

You can have it all.

There's no need for You to go to the cross!"

So Jesus again responded to Satan's words - even though they were coming from the mouth of beloved Peter - "Get behind Me, Satan!

For you are not on the side of God, but of men."

Peter would soon learn that our Lord’s ministry was not fulfilled in glory, but at the shameful cross; salvation could only come through a suffering Messiah.

There could be no other way.

So why were the disciples rejecting Jesus as a suffering Messiah?

For the same reason many reject Him today; because the idea is completely wrong according to human reasoning.

Who would design a method of saving the world that included suffering, pain, despair, and death?

No one!

And that is why Israel misinterpreted its own Scriptures which told of the coming suffering Messiah.

Natural reason says a Savior must come with position and power!

But Jesus said if you think that way, "*You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men"*  (Mark 8:33b).

If we are to embrace Jesus, we must confess a suffering Messiah.

But more than that, we must model His example.

Confessing Christ means we must follow him to crucifixion.

*“And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”* (Mark 8:34).

Today, we will answer these two questions:  First,* “What are our crosses?”*

And,* “How can we bear the cross we have been given?”*

*II.

What Are Our Crosses?*  First, let’s be clear, for a true Christian, bearing the cross is not a possibility, it is a certainty!

Jesus makes it clear, that if we are truly following Him we will encounter the cross and our lives will be forever changed because of it!

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it."

(Mark 8:35).

\\     A cross then, comes from specifically walking in Christ's steps, and embracing his life.

We don’t get to choose our cross, because it is given to us by the Lord and it is realized while we are walking with Him and because we are walking with Him.

Another truth about our cross is that its size will always be proportionate to our dedication to Him.    \\ *ILLUS: The Cross Room \\ */There once was a young man was at the end of his rope.

Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.

"Lord, I can't go on," he said.

"I have too heavy of a cross to bear."

The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear it's weight, just place your cross inside this room.

Then open another door and pick any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief.

"Thank you, Lord," he sighed, and did as he was told.

As he looked around the room he saw many different crosses; some so large the tops were not visible.

Then he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.